


STAR WARS: The Way to Balance

by Ketz



Series: Light and Darkness [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Jedi Magnus, M/M, Malec, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, pilot alec
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-03-23 12:31:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 32,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13787823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ketz/pseuds/Ketz
Summary: After THE CIRCLE was defeated by the DOWNWORLDER RESISTANCE in a battle known as the UPRISING, a NEW ERA has started in the galaxy. General Luke Garroway leads the process to reduce the consequences of THE CIRCLE by restoring peace and prosperity in the name of THE CLAVE.Without the shadow of THE CIRCLE hovering over them, each rebel has the freedom to live their lives instead of fighting for it. The JEDI ORDER, destroyed during the MORTAL WAR, is starting to be rebuilt by Master Jedi Jace Herondale. With the help of the other rebels who fought bravely, a small contingent of younglings is taught in the mysteries of the Force.Meanwhile, Master Jedi Magnus Bane sails with pilot Alec Lightwood in search of Magnus’ former master, Ragnor Fell. More than ten years have passed since anyone has heard of him, but Magnus believes he knows where to find a clue to Ragnor's whereabouts...





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you guys thought you've seen the last of me ;)
> 
> Who's ready for another Star Wars story? I sure am.

As it turned out, going to a mission to find one’s long lost Master wasn’t as simple as hopping on a X-Wing. Magnus sighed heavily, bored as he waited for Alec to get back from the last ship inventory. General Luke might have allowed their mission, but he’d insisted in following protocol. And protocol dictated every detail had to be accounted for.

Well, good thing Alec had kept a little of the dull part of his stormtrooper upbringing. He could spend hours at the hangar, walking around their light freighter with the other officers, making sure everything was in place. Alec had even affectionately named the ship “Hawk Blue.” Magnus had no such patience, even though he was the Master Jedi.

Ragnor would have something to say about that, though it wouldn’t be anything nice.

Sighing again, Magnus sat down on the floor and closed his eyes. Ever since he’d decided to search for Ragnor, meditating had become a nervous tick. Still, Magnus couldn’t help himself. Clearing his mind, he felt the pull of the Force around him. Magnus calmed himself until his body matched that pull. Balance. Once he achieved balance, his petty worries wouldn’t matter. Once he achieved balance, he’d be one with the Force. 

That sensation was not something Magnus could explain. It wasn’t peace exactly, for the Force also had violence. It felt like something bigger than that. In all of his years training as a Jedi, Magnus could never quite get enough of this connection. It was a part of him, something that had always been inside and that he would never be able to fully understand. Bigger than him and his fears, even if it knew all of them.

But that side, the side that knew, the side that would let him see… That was the Dark Side. As a Jedi, it was Magnus’ duty not to let himself be seduced into following it. Years searching for Ragnor and not once he’d let himself be tempted to embrace that side. 

Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to start now. In two days, he and Alec would be leaving to see Catarina in Cooria. Alec had been right; Ragnor wanted Magnus to stay with the Resistance and defeat the Circle. Now, that was done with. If Catarina knew about his master’s whereabouts, she had no reason to omit it any further.

Magnus didn’t need the Dark Side to find Ragnor. All he needed was his friends and Alec.

So, he pulled himself away from the Dark and into the Light. It was there that he felt the disturbances caused by the younglings training with Jace at the arena. They represented hope and the new beginning. Twelve of them, a new generation of Jedi formed to keep the Galaxy safe. 

Or rather, eleven. The twelfth was heading in his direction now. In fact, she was just outside the room.

Magnus smiled, coming out of the trance just as Madzie opened the door. He plunged onto the floor and it was just in time to catch Madzie as she dashed into his lap. “Master Magnus!” the little girl yelped, hugging him by the neck.

“Hello, Sweetpea.” Magnus grabbed her, grateful that Alec wasn’t around. He was having a hardest time saying goodbye to little Madzie than to his siblings. Izzy might have been furious that Alec hadn’t asked her to join the mission and Jace still let one or two salty remarks escape him, but overall they understood it was something Alec and Magnus had to do together. 

Trying to say that to Madzie was not so simple. Every day she’d come up with a different reason why either they shouldn’t go or why she should come with. Magnus wondered which one it was this time. 

“Where’s Alec?” Madzie asked, looking around the room.

A sensible question, considering it was Alec’s bedroom. “At the hangar. He should be coming here after he’s done. We can wait for him together if you’d like.” 

Madzie frowned, her hands tugging into Magnus’ robe. “He said you’re going on a dangerous mission. I heard it.” 

“Yes,” Magnus nodded. “And that’s why Alec and I are going together, so we can protect each other.”

“But Alec is not a Jedi,” Madzie protested, her tone full of frustration. 

Magnus raised his eyebrows in surprise. Now that was a line of arguing Madzie hadn’t used before. He was glad Alec wasn’t there to listen to it, though. “Sweetpea, remember your lessons. The strength is not at the ends, but in the bond itself. Our allies and those we carry along with us are what makes us truly strong. Not the Force.”

For a moment, Madzie pondered in silence. She frowned again but eventually released Magnus’ clothes. “Okay,” she whispered, sounding sad. 

Thankfully, voices in the corridor saved Magnus from having to deal with that. The door opened again, revealing a particularly annoyed Alec. That could only mean one thing and the voice Magnus heard next confirmed his suspicions.

“But you’ll need a droid!” Clary exclaimed, following Alec inside the room. “And a droid operator!”

“That’s us!” S1-M0N showed up next and pointed between Clary and him as he too bursted into the room uninvited. “I am very excited. I’ve always wanted to go on a fieldtrip with Magnus.” His visor blinked. “Unless this is just an excuse so you two can go away for a while. A romantic escapade. Then we shouldn't go, Clary.”

Alec pinched the bridge of his nose. He hadn’t even noticed Magnus and Madzie in the room, as angry as he was. “It is not a…! You know what? It is. You can’t come because Magnus and I are actually going to spend the entire time having wild, zero-g se-”

He stopped, thankfully, when his eyes landed on Madzie. Magnus had to apply all of his years of restraining training in order not to laugh, but he managed to restrain his amusement to a smirk. “What is going on here?”

Ironically, Clary saved Alec. “Magnus!” She smiled brightly, hope coloring her features. “I was just telling Alec; I talked to Luke. He said we could come with you guys on your mission and-”

“No,” Magnus said immediately. He didn’t mean to be harsh, but his tone had made even Madzie stare at him with surprise. Well, the only ones that were even more insistent than her were Clary and her droid, so the snap served them right. Magnus was done being polite. 

“But-” Clary tried again. She stopped when Magnus raised his hand.

“I appreciate your offer, Biscuit,” Magnus said, as diplomatically as he could, “but it won’t be necessary. Alec and I are going alone. That is my final decision.”

Annoyance grew on Clary’s face, but she ultimately sighed. “If you think that is best…”

Forcing a smile, Magnus nodded. “I do. Now, I need to talk to Madzie and Alec. So, if you two could excuse us?” 

With a frown, Clary crossed her arms. She looked like she was going to argue further, but ultimately Clary nodded and left. S1-M0N took that as his clue and waved at Madzie, who waved back. The scene was enough to wash away Magnus’ irritation, especially since it all seemed to concentrate in Alec’s tense shoulders.

“I thought she would never stop talking,” Alec said as Madzie dashed from Magnus to him. He picked her up like it was nothing, making the girl giggle. That made Alec smile too before he put her comfortably on the bed. “The ship is ready to take off. We leave tomorrow night.”

Magnus smiled and stood up, straightening his robes. “Perfect. I’ve talked to Catarina to let her know we’re coming.”

Alec arched an eyebrow at that. “Does she know why we’re coming?”

Shrugging nonchalantly, Magnus joined them at the bed. “Of course she knows I’m coming for a quick visit and some tea.” He deliberately didn’t look at Alec as he began to peel off the rings on his fingers. “And she might think I’m taking you with me so she can have a little talk to you.”

Alec blinked. “What?”

“Visit and tea, yes.” Magnus smiled cheekily and turned to the confused girl sitting between them. “Madzie, dear, are you sleepy? I thought we could throw a little slumber party tonight. Just you, me, and Alec. How about that? Isn’t that a good idea, Alexander?”

Alec’s hazel eyes narrowed as he stared at Magnus, but he finally huffed in defeat. Fishing into his pocket, Alec dangled a pack of Illenium biscuits in front of Madzie. “Sure. I brought dinner.”

Madzie smiled a little bit when she saw sweets and then hugged Alec’s arm, looking at Magnus with her big brown eyes. “You’ll protect Alec, right Master?”

Magnus smiled and nodded. There wasn’t fear in Madzie’s voice anymore, just a need to double-check. “With everything that I have, young one.” He looked at Alec and smiled fondly, offering a hand to Alec that the pilot took right away. “And he’ll protect me just the same, I have no doubt.”

There was something in Alec’s expression that promised to ask what that was all about, but he let that go. Instead, Alec pulled Madzie to lay down with him. For some reason, the girl loved to hear all about Alec’s day, in excruciating details. As Alec talked and they ate the biscuits, Magnus prepared himself for bed.

They were really going to do this. In less than twenty-four hours, they would be on their way to Catarina. So much time had passed since Magnus had seen Ragnor, it felt weird that he felt closer to his Master now than when Ragnor first left him behind.

At the time, Magnus had been furious. Abandoned and alone, he had to deal with the expectations of Luke and the entire rebellion on his shoulders. Magnus had been just a kid then. A foolish kid that concentrated all his efforts in achieving his Master’s orders. He was not a child any longer and those orders had been carried on.

Magnus wasn’t angry anymore, nor was he alone. But he was afraid. A stupid, crippling sensation that didn’t make sense. Magnus had fought with the Resistance, had withstood torture and desolation. He’d defeated the Shadowhunter, he’d helped to destroy the Circle. He was rebuilding the Jedi Order. 

Sighing, Magnus got back to Alec’s room wondering why he felt fear now. After all of those things, why now?

What he found didn’t answer that question, but it answered something far greater. Seeing Madzie curled up in Alec’s arms, sleep taking them both, Magnus smiled. He didn’t know why he was so afraid. But it didn’t matter. As long as he had Alec, he could be brave again and again. 

Until bravery wasn’t a choice, but a part of him like it had ever been.

\---

Alec thought overcoming the addiction to Aldertree’s drug had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. He had been wrong. Saying goodbye to Isabelle, Jace, and Max was so much harder than that.

He had spent the day with them, or as much of it as he could. Still, when it was time to board the light freighter, Alec felt his heart clenching inside his chest. Max was the first to hug him, though he didn’t say ‘farewell’ as much as ‘I’ll see you later.’ Jace was next and he chuckled as Alec told him to take care of the younglings. 

“Be careful,” Alec said once they were done hugging.

Jace snorted. “You’re the one riding into the unknown,” he said, but promised to keep an eye on everyone while Alec was gone.

Isabelle was the last one and the hardest to let go of. She had tears in her eyes as Alec pulled away, but she was also smiling. “You have fun, okay? And remember my pointers before landing.”

“Not this again,” Alec said, surprised by how clear his voice was. His own tears were stinging at the back of his eyes. Thankfully, the sound of his sister’s laugh helped him to pull through it. 

“Here, I have something for you,” Isabelle said. She produced a leather stripe with a ring as a pendant. The ring had flames carved around it. “It’s our family symbol. Wherever you end up in the Galaxy, you’ll never be cold. You’ll have the Lightwood fire with you, to warm you and light your way back home. That is what Mom and Dad would say to me.”

Alec gasped. “Iz, I-”

“Just take it,” Isabelle said quickly and put the necklace around Alec’s neck. “I had it made for you. It’s not fair to Magnus. He’s used to go on mission with a fashionable Lightwood. The least I can do is make sure that stays the same.”

Snorting, Alec pulled her back to another hug. He said his goodbyes to Clary and her droid, as well to General Luke afterward. Madzie was the last one and, that, Alec did with Magnus by his side. As they took off to the blackness of the universe, Alec couldn’t help but feel warm. Whatever happened, he’d always have a place to come back to. 

But not just him. Magnus too. Alec looked at the Jedi as he kept his eyes closed, probably meditating again. Magnus had done a lot of that in the past few days and Alec knew it helped to calm him down. 

Good thing that wasn’t the only thing that helped with that. “Magnus,” Alec said quietly, barely louder than a whisper.

It was enough. Magnus opened his beautiful eyes, his cat-shaped pupils swimming in a pool of gold. Alec never tired of them. He smiled, bringing a hand to hold Magnus’. “You’ll be in Cooria in a few minutes.”

Magnus nodded and then sighed dramatically. “I still can’t believe Cat chose that swamp as her new home.”

Cooria had absolutely nothing to do with Hosnian Prime, Catarina’s former medical base. It was humid and hot, filled with many different forests that provided both sustenance and resources for the treatment of patients. The weather was usually warm and the air and water were pure. It was the perfect location for a hospital in times of peace.

Only, it didn’t have enough cities for Magnus’ taste, or so he claimed. Alec knew better, though. It would be easier to complain about the planet than to face the fact that Magnus was feeling anxious. It was a small thing and one Alec would allow him to lean on. 

“I think it’s pretty,” Alec said instead. He’d seen the mostly green planet in maps enough times to have the image stuck in his head. “I like plants.”

“Wait until we land. You’ll want to run back to this ship right away. The humidity.” Magnus shuddered dramatically, making Alec snort. “I mean it. You’ll be sweating and not from a fun activity. Just standing up will be terrible on its own. No rough, zero-g sex for us.”

“Oh, come on, Magnus,” Alec said between a chuckle. He smiled and started pressing the buttons, turning the wheels down. “Hold on. We’re landing.”

“Do you want some help with that?” Magnus asked cheekily, chuckling to himself when Alec pointedly ignored him. That joke had lost its kick days ago. 

Besides, the hangar was huge. As huge as the old Resistance base they lived in, maybe even bigger. Alec was sure an Imperial Crusader could fit in there easily, though it might feel out of place sitting right beneath the Resistance insignia that stood proud at the main building’s entrance.

Magnus didn’t miss that and he snorted. “Oh, Catarina,” he said to himself, an amused smile playing on his lips. Alec felt like he was witnessing an inside joke, even though they hadn’t even seen Catarina yet. It was both intriguing and intimidating.

Just like Admiral Catarina Loss herself. Alec remembered her from the picture Isabelle had showed him and a brief glimpse he caught of her in his first Resistance meeting. They had met one more time, when Catarina tended to Magnus’ injuries, but Alec had been too distressed to register that moment.

Not anymore. Catarina was there to receive them in person, pitch black skin contrasting with her light blue medical robes. She was a beautiful woman, though her severe expression and crossed arms set alarms all over Alec’s head.

But not Magnus’, of course. He just smiled brightly and walked up to her, leaving Alec no option but to follow. “My dearest friend!” Magnus said, taking Catarina’s hands in his. “How I’ve missed you!”

Catarina smirked, holding Magnus’ hands tightly. Whatever harshness there was in her, it went away in the blink of an eye. “You’ve been too busy saving the galaxy. That’s the problem with you, Jedi. Always preoccupied.” She smiled fondly when Magnus shrugged unapologetically. “But, thankfully, now that’s done with and you have time for your long forgotten friends.”

Alec felt his breath caught in his throat. Could she know why they were truly there? Magnus had lied about their reasons to come, but if Catarina knew the truth and still allowed them to come, then surely she was ready to talk. 

Half a second of hesitation from Magnus indicated he had thought something similar. Alec expected him to ask about Ragnor right away, but, instead, Magnus smiled. “Nothing is truly forgotten; only temporarily lost.”

“Well, we are neither.” Catarina looked over Magnus’ shoulder to Alec and her expression grew harder again. “So, you’re the stormtrooper?”

“Yes, that’s the pilot,” Magnus said and Alec could hear pride in his voice. “Alec Lightwood. I’m very glad you two can officially meet. With the war, there was little time for formalities such as this and I do appreciate some order.”

Alec didn’t let the moment pass. “Admiral Loss, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.” He extended a respectful salute to her. “Master Bane has told me a lot about you and so did my sister, Commander Lightwood.”

The formality seemed to work, clearly to Magnus’ surprise, judging by his impressed expression. Catarina’s features softened slightly and there was a smile on her lips as she spoke. “At ease, soldier. It is my pleasure to meet the first stormtrooper to ever flee the Circle’s tight grasp. I believe your presence would be very beneficent to our patients.”

Alec frowned, confused. “How do you mean?” He looked at Magnus, but the Jedi didn’t seem to understand his friend more than Alec did.

Catarina looked between the two of them, looking puzzled herself. “Did General Luke not tell you? We have an entire building full of former stormtroopers in recovery. Overcoming the brainwash of the Circle is no simple task.” She looked at Magnus inquisitively. “I figured that was the real reason why you brought him here. You were never one to ask for approval in your love life, after all.”

Magnus blinked and a relieved smile took over his lips. So Catarina didn’t expect them to inquire about Ragnor. For some reason Magnus thought that was good. Alec trusted his boyfriend’s judgement, though he had more pressing concerns at the moment.

“Can I see them?” Alec asked, holding his breath as he spoke. “The other former stormtroopers.”

“Of course,” Catarina said as she gestured for them to follow her. They crossed the main building, walking around the nearby facilities to a small train. They hopped onto one of the cabinets and Catarina set it into motion. “But if you two are not here for the stormtroopers, then why did you came, Magnus?”

Alec barely heard that, too engrossed in his thoughts. He kept closing and opening his hand, trying to exhaust his worries away. Would he know those stormtroopers? He saw so many of them die in that final battle. It was one thing to know some of them were now a part of the Clave’s army. Those were people trying to build up a better future, trying to start again.

But who would he find in a medical facility? Months had passed so the only ones left were the ones truly injured or… Or those who could not mentally adjust.

A hand closed over his and Alec saw Magnus’ worried expression as the Jedi looked at him. “Later, my friend.” Magnus looked away for long enough to offer Catarina a tentative smile. “During dinner.”

The Admiral nodded and they continued the rest of the trip in silence. It didn’t take long, but Alec focused on the view instead of his mind. With Magnus’ hand in his, it was easier to ground himself. Whoever was there waiting for him, he or she was in good hands. Catarina was the best doctor in the Galaxy. She was their best chance.

That thought helped Alec calm himself. When they arrived at their destination, he let Magnus and Catarina chat quietly among them. The Admiral told them the former stormtroopers were given their own rooms in that building. Their progress was accompanied by Anzat doctors, who used their telepathic capacities to track the patients improvements. 

“For many of them the biggest problem is regaining their sense of self,” Catarina explained as she led them inside the building. “It takes time and it is a lengthy process. But, little by little, they start to form their own identity. Just like you did,” she added, looking at Alec.

They stopped in front of a door and Catarina opened it. Alec held his breath, unconsciously reaching for Magnus’ hand. As Magnus’ fingers curled onto his, Alec looked at the room in front of him. It was a cafeteria, not much different than the one in the other Resistance base. The walls were copper, with posters plastered on the walls. The food were served in the same platters that Alec had grown accustomed to, and it would be washed down with the same drinks he had been drinking in the last few months.

And yet, he felt like he was back the at the Circle’s ship. There were no white uniforms, but every single person in that room sat with their backs straight, looking only to their food. No talking, no engaging with each other. They didn’t even look up when the door opened. Alec didn’t recognize any of the faces he saw, but he felt like he knew all of them just the same.

They were him, or who he had been once.

“Alec,” Catarina said, her voice breaking through his shock. “If this is too much, we can-”

Shaking his head, Alec looked at her and smiled. He was surprised that it came naturally and not as the bravado he thought it would be. “I’m fine.” 

Magnus breathed out beside him and Alec realized he had been holding his breath. He smiled at the Jedi before looking back at Catarina. “I’m sorry. I just needed a minute to gather my thoughts. How can I hel-”

“You!” an outraged voice sounded at the back at the cafeteria. The three of them looked to where it came from and Alec’s jaw dropped. RJ-7257. Alec thought Lydia had blasted him down, but she must have used the stun mode. Regardless, there he was. Alec had seen him without his mask enough time to recognize the light brown skin and the black hair. RJ-7257 was a handsome man. And now, he was also an angry one. “AL-2532!”

Before Alec could do anything, Catarina took a step forward. “Raj, do you know Alec?”

RJ-7257, or rather, Raj, scoffed. He stood up, his hand instinctively going to the right side of his hip. Alec knew, because he felt the same urge. However, unlike Alec, Raj didn’t have a blaster hanging there to grab. Weaponless, he chose to look back at Alec, loathing in his expression. “Oh, I know him, Doctor. He’s the traitor that started it all. This is all his fault! Traitor! Resistance scum!”

The words caused the other patients to wake up from their numb state. Some of them looked at Alec with the same hatred in their faces, some looked panicked. A few started shaking and screaming. It was chaos, but, through it all, Alec could only stare at Raj. At his cold eyes and how desperate they looked. How afraid.

“We should go,” Magnus said as he all but shoved Alec out of the room with him. Catarina stayed in, along with the other doctors to try and calm down the patients. The door closed behind them as Alec gasped for air, realizing only then that his hand was still laying over his blaster.

Magnus grabbed it. “Alexander, are you alright?” 

“Yeah,” Alec lied, trying to make it sound true. Maybe then, he could believe it. “I just… This wasn’t a great start to our mission, was it?”

A snort escaped Magnus’ lips and he rested his free hand on Alec’s face. “Or maybe it was the perfect start,” Magnus said lightly, giving Alec a reason to smile. “After all, what is a couple of questions compared to disturbing an entire facility of patients with a delicate mental state?” 

\---

Unsurprisingly, Catarina was late for their dinner together. That presented them a great opportunity, though, as Magnus made sure Alec was feeling up. The encounter with the former stormtroopers had left him distracted all afternoon, despite Alec’s claims that he was fine.

Not that Magnus blamed him. He had no idea how ingrained the Circle’s mindwash still was, even after all those months. Catarina had told them there were two more buildings like this one, filled with residents in all stages of recovery. She had judged it better if Alec visited the one where the patients had advanced the most. But if that was it, then Magnus couldn’t imagine what waited in the other buildings.

Though Alec didn’t let him even try to. After a shower together, they had put on lighter clothes and enjoyed some time alone at the main building. Magnus had made Alec laugh by complaining non-stop about the heat and humidity. That also helped with Magnus’ nerves; focusing on Alec made him forget what awaited at night.

But now, there was no delaying it. Funny how Magnus could be so close to finding out where Ragnor was, and yet, it was almost as if he didn’t want to know.

“You okay?” Alec asked when Magnus downed his second glass of Corellian whiskey. Catarina’s headquarters had a nice room with open walls to let the occasional breeze come in. Alec and Magnus were enjoying the purple nights in the planet, though Magnus had decided to do that only half-sober.

“I will be,” Magnus said, pouring another glass for himself.

Catarina walked into the dining room before Alec could do anything about that, though Magnus doubted he would. Still, Catarina’s presence shifted both of their focus to her and with good reason. Out of her medical robes, Catarina had chosen a white gown that complemented her skin perfectly. Magnus always thought she was beautiful, but peaceful times made her glow. 

Except for the worried expression on her face. Catarina turned to Alec first. “I’d like to apologize for what happened earlier.”

“No, it was my fault,” Alec said quickly. He tried to keep talking, but Catarina interrupted him. She blamed herself for overestimating the progress of her patients and putting Alec in such a terrible position. 

The scene made Magnus’ heart ache. The war was done; how could the Circle still hurt people like that? Startled, Magnus realized a small part of him still thought all they needed was to defeat evil for good to triumph. But that was not how the Force worked. Ragnor would roll his eyes if he could hear him now. 

Which reminded him. “It’s in the past,” Magnus said, resting his hands on Catarina’s and Alec’s shoulders. “A mistake was done and it has been dealt with. The only thing we can do is try to do better next time.”

“Surely,” Catarina agreed, though she grabbed Magnus’ glass out of his hand and took a sip. “In the meantime, we can eat,” she said with a wink.

Magnus chuckled, happy to see his old friend back at the top of her game. Alec smiled too and the three of them sat down around a table full of delicious looking food. It smelled dreamily, so much so Magnus almost forgave Catarina for choosing such a horrid planet to settle in.

As they ate, the mood of the room grew sweeter. They talked briefly about Raj, as Alec wanted to know where the name came from. It turned out, the former stormtrooper had chosen it for himself. It was one of the first steps they took, choosing names instead of letters and numbers. 

“Once they start using the names, we move them to the more advanced stages,” Catarina explained. “It is a matter of claiming an identity and the name is the first step. Again, I’m very sorry for what happened with Raj. He is one of our most improved patients. If I knew there was a previous relationship, I would’ve made sure the circumstances were different.”

Alec shook his head. “I believe RJ- I mean, Raj and I were friends once. Or as friends as we could’ve been. My leaving… It was hard for all of us. But I’m happy to know he’s doing better. I thought he had died in the battle. So, thank you. For doing this for them. For… us.”

It was a nice moment; one of understanding. Magnus smiled to himself, eating quietly as he enjoyed that feeling. One of his oldest and dearest friends talking to the man he loved. If they still could have that, then the consequences of the war hadn’t ruined it all. There was still hope.

As dinner continued, Catarina asked a couple of indiscreet questions to Alec, but the pilot handled himself wonderfully under the scrutiny. A little too well, in Magnus’ opinion, since suddenly Catarina was sharing sensitive information with Alec.

“You’d think Magnus was always this smooth, but you should’ve seen him with Imasu,” Catarina said between giggles. Alec, that bastard, didn’t even blink, enjoying himself too much. “Magnus got what he wanted at the end, but I’m still not convinced Imasu didn’t relent out of tiredness.”

“Okay, that’s quite enough,” Magnus said over Alec’s delighted laugh. Well, they’d see if he’d be laughing after sleeping at his pilot’s chair that night. “We didn’t come all the way here for you to demean me to my boyfriend.”

The sly smirk on Catarina’s lips at the word ‘boyfriend’ made Magnus feel like that silly boy that chased after handsome Imasu despite his Master’s best judgment again. Thankfully, though, Catarina didn’t press the matter. “You didn’t come here for me to get to know Alec. You didn’t come here to see the stormtroopers. Why did you come here, then?”

Inhaling sharply, Magnus played with his glass. He had gotten it back from Catarina, but hadn’t taken a sip since. No amount of liquor could help him in that moment. It was time he faced the truth. And the truth was he had no hopes of really finding Ragnor.

What he hoped for was closure. If Magnus could know for sure that his Master was dead, then maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to move past it. Maybe this endless suffering would end. Catarina had moved on and had her patients to take care of. Raphael had moved on, even though he only knew Ragnor briefly.

It was time for Magnus to do the same. It took Alec to push him to making that decision, but now Magnus knew it was the right one. He could let go of Ragnor and stop searching for him everytime he meditated. Stop asking about him everytime he found himself in a new town.

“I came to ask you about Master Ragnor,” Magnus said with no fear in his voice. He wasn’t begging anymore, like he had in those first few years. He wasn’t demanding to know, like he did when the loneliness became bitterness. He was just asking. “The war is over, I’ve completed the mission he gave me. Catarina… Where is he? Where did he go?”

Catarina’s smile vanished from her lips and, with it, so did Magnus’ hopes. He didn’t dare look at Alec in that moment. Magnus knew that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to handle the disappointment in Alec’s eyes. 

In his mind, Magnus began to make news plans. If Catarina didn’t have anything to say, he would ask Alec to take them to Tatooine. That excuse of a planet was the last place where Magnus had seen Ragnor. He had no illusion that he’d find a clue to Ragnor’s whereabouts there, but maybe Magnus would find something more important. No life grew in Tatooine, so maybe death was the answer.

With Alec there with him, maybe Magnus could finally accept that his Master was dead.

“You’re right,” Catarina finally said. Her voice sounded far away. When Magnus looked up to face her, he realized so was her mind. Catarina was looking at the stars shining in the planet’s dark purple sky. Startled, Magnus saw tears in her eyes. “I’ll tell everything I know.”

Alec gasped beside Magnus, but he didn’t look at the pilot, too stunned to believe his ears. “You will?”

“Yes,” Catarina said, determination coloring her face. She looked at Magnus, her eyes dry. “Ragnor made me promise not to tell you, but that was so you wouldn’t turn your back to the war. The Resistance needed you, my friend. It was my responsibility to make sure you were there. But now you have the right to know. Ragnor would want you to go and find him.”

Magnus inhaled sharply. “So he’s alive. You know where he is.”

Something in Catarina’s expression shifted. Determination made way to sorrow and she closed her eyes. “I don’t know if he is alive or where he is. Ragnor stopped answering my messages a few weeks after he was gone. All I know is what he was looking for and the last place he went before going silent.”

“Tell me,” Magnus whispered.

Catarina took a sip of her whiskey, breathing in sharply. “When Luke found you, Ragnor knew the Galaxy’s only hope would be rebuilding the Jedi Order. There was only the two of you left and you were always the better fighter, despite his comments otherwise.” That made Magnus smile fondly and the gesture seemed to encourage Catarina to continue. “So, while you fought with the Resistance, Ragnor went to find the origin of the Jedi Religion. He hoped there was something there that could guide him to other Force users.”

Frowning, Magnus pressed his lips together. “The origin of the Jedi Religion? I don’t understand. He knows where the sacred books are, the last Temple of the Jedi- it was destroyed. There was a fire long ago at the isla-”

“The books were saved,” Catarina said. “And Ragnor had a hunch about where they were. The place that holds all knowledge. He was right.” 

Magnus blinked, things finally making sense. “The Spiral Labyrinth.” 

Catarina smiled briefly but then her happiness turned into a heavy sigh. “Unfortunately, that is all I know. Ragnor stopped answering after he found the Texts. I haven’t heard from him since.”

A cold hand of dread closed over Magnus’ heart. The last time anyone heard of Ragnor was almost a decade ago, not much after Magnus himself had seen his Master for the last time. 

Alec’s voice stopped Magnus from falling into despair. “How did you two communicate?”

“Hologram,” both Catarina and Magnus answered. They smiled at each other despite it all and Magnus kept going. “Ragnor’s favorite method of communication. He was always very particular about it.”

Nodding, Alec turned his attention to Catarina. “Do you still have that message? Can we see it?”

“Of course.” Catarina stood up and vanished into the doors that led to her room. Magnus only had time to stare at Alec, incredulous. He hadn’t even thought of that. In the years of quickly moving from one point to the Galaxy to the other, he’d lost all recordings of Ragnor. 

He didn’t have time to decide how he felt about seeing his Master again, though. Catarina was back and she handed Magnus the communicating device. “Here you go. It’s very old and the signal isn’t strong, but it’s Ragnor.”

Before he made up his mind about it, Magnus pressed the turning on button. He had come this far, closer to Ragnor than he had ever been. A recording wouldn’t stop him.

Ragnor’s face and torso appeared in shimmering blue and Magnus almost dropped the communicator. He steadied his hand, breathing through his mind. His Master was just like Magnus remembered, a kind long face framed by twin horns at his temples. Ragnor’s robes swirled behind him as he paced with his hands moved energetically. “My dear Catarina, I’ve found them! The Sacred Texts are here, preserved in perfect state. Oh, Magnus will so want to read them! These dull books: he’ll devour them in a couple of hours, I have no doubts. That boy never had patience and he adores his books even more than he adores pestering me.”

A chuckle escaped Magnus’ lips and it was only then that he realized he had been smiling. Ragnor continued, shaking his head. “Anyway, I’ve been studying them for weeks and I think I’ve finally made a breakthrough. It is too dangerous to tell you where I’m going next. Still, if my conclusions are right, I’m closer than I thought. In fact, we all are. The answer is so simple, I can’t believe no one has discovered it yet.”

Ragnor stopped moving and looked straight to Magnus, his expression growing softer. “My Catarina, I must go now. Though simple, the next part of my journey will require some preparation. Do not give up hope if I tard in contacting you again. Where I’m going… I’m not sure how that place works. Do not fear, though. The Force is with me.” He smiled sadly. “And it shall be with you too. Farewell for now, my beloved friend. And do keep an eye on Magnus for me. He is our only hope.”

The message ended there and Ragnor’s image disappeared. Magnus kept staring at the empty space for a while, Ragnor’s voice echoing in his mind. It felt like he was dreaming, like what had happened had been but a fabrication of his mind.

But the hard metal of the communicator in his hand proved it hadn’t. Magnus smiled, energy rising on his spine. He looked at Alec in time to catch the worried expression on his boyfriend’s face. Soon enough, though, the worry transformed in excitement, mirroring how Magnus felt.

“I take we’re going to this Spiral Labyrinth next,” Alec said.

“Yes, Alexander, we are.” Magnus looked back at Catarina, happy to see her smiling too. “It seems I have some books to read.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the adventure starts <3
> 
> Next on: The Spiral Labyrinth + a droid
> 
> Biggest thank you to my amazing wife and beta, [Lecrit](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lecrit/pseuds/Lecrit). She even went to watch TLJ with me. Love you, babe!
> 
> I can be found on [Tumblr](https://ketzwrites.tumblr.com/) and on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/Ketz_CML/). 
> 
> Kudos, comments, and tweets are more than welcome!
> 
> Ketz


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand, I'm back!
> 
> I think I'm establishing a two-week rule for updates. So, every other Saturday ;)
> 
> Now, let's read some Ancient Texts.

If Alec was at all worried about getting to the Spiral Labyrinth, seeing the planet for the first time put his mind at ease. The Spiral Labyrinth was a library planet in the most literal sense. It was made of thousands of spiral-shaped towers that tangled among each other, forming the shape of a planet. As they moved around it, searching for a surface to land, Alec could see parts of the towers that had collided together and created new paths within the planet’s structure. There was no mistaking it.

The problem was a different one. Alec frowned. “This is-”

“Gorgeous,” Magnus completed, leaning forward to take a better look at the planet. 

“I was going with confusing, but it is pretty,” Alec said, raising an eyebrow at his boyfriend. In his haste to help Magnus, he had only thought about the trajectory to get to the Spiral Labyrinth. Alec had assumed the planet would be... well, a regular planet. With landing tracks. Maybe a huge library on it to honor its name. “Do you see anywhere we can land?”

Magnus snorted, shaking his head. “One does not land onto the Spiral Labyrinth, my darling. Knowledge isn’t something to be stepped upon, but taken in.” As Alec only stared blankly at him, Magnus rolled his eyes. “You Nephilim have no appreciation for lessons. We get closer and they take us in. Do you see the core at the center of the planet? Get Hawk Blue there.”

Alec smirked. “Why didn’t you just say so?” He turned the ship, circling around the towers. Hawk Blue was big enough for them to live in if needed, but it was still a small craft. Alec was able to pass through a lot of tight reapings in the planet’s structure. 

The closer he got to the towers, the bigger Magnus’ smile was. Alec smiled too and made sure they passed just near a few of the windows peeking out of the towers. They were able to catch glimpses of books and scrolls, but there were so much more inside of those walls. Objects Alec had never seen, creatures living in peace, races studying together. 

When they arrived at the planet’s core, Alec was as charmed by the Spiral Labyrinth as Magnus had been.

A button lit up in red and Alec caught the voice transmission being sent. “Light freighter, please identify yourself,” a female voice said through the communicator.

“This is Hawk Blue.” Alec looked inquisitively at Magnus, who nodded. “My name is Alec Lightwood and I carry Jedi Master, General Magnus Bane.” He remembered what Catarina said about the planet’s formalities and added, “We seek safe-passage in our way to gain knowledge.”

The response took a moment to come. “The Jedi are a friend to the Spiral Labyrinth. Welcome.”

As the transmission faded, the core of the planet began to shift. A huge metallic mouth opened right in front of them, revealing a hangar full of ships. They came from every side of the galaxy, in all shapes and sizes. Alec was even surprised to see some rusty tie fighters with the Circle’s symbol on it.

He shook that out of his mind. “It seems knowledge is the one taking us in,” Alec said and earned a snort from Magnus for his efforts.

“Oh, Alexander,” Magnus said, shaking his head again. This time, though, the smile on his face ruined the intended result.

Once they landed, a tall and slender figure was waiting for them. She had human features with white-pale skin and her big brown eyes. The woman’s brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, mixing with her elegant robes.

She smiled at them, a pleasant smile that made Alec think of a mother. “Hello. My name is Tessa Gray. I am the keeper of the Spiral Labyrinth.” Her attention went straight to Magnus, to whom Tessa bowed in deference. “It is my pleasure to be of assistance to the Jedi again.”

“Thank you,” Magnus said politely, bowing his head. “In fact, our visit is motivated by the last time the Jedi were here. My Master Ragnor disappeared years ago and the Labyrinth Spiral was the last place he made contact from. I was hoping to take a look at the books he was studying. I’m sure it will guide me to wherever he went to.”

Tessa nodded, her hands clasped in front of her torso. “Yes, I remember your Master. Unfortunately, I cannot point you to the books he had been studying, only to the area where he stayed during his visit.” She looked truly apologetic. “It’s been a long time since Master Ragnor’s visit and the Spiral Labyrinth has expanded.”

Magnus looked at Alec, who nodded in agreement. If Tessa could point out a section for them to start looking, that would be more than enough help. “Thank you,” Magnus said again. “If we could start now?” 

“Of course.” Tessa turned to the grand entrance at the end of the hangar. “I must warn you, though, the Labyrinth can be jarring. There are those here that have yet to found a way out, even years after they’ve arrived. Stay close, please. Once lost, one must learn their way back and I sense you two lack the time for that.”

Alec raised an eyebrow at the ominous warning, but Magnus just shrugged nonchalantly. They followed Tessa through the huge halls of the planet-building, never losing her out of sight. Alec made a point of memorizing their path, though it wasn’t an easy task. After the eleventh turn, Alec couldn’t quite tell if they were going left or right, up or down anymore. Every corridor looked the same, every corner turned to at least three different paths. 

Jarring didn’t start to cover it.

Finally, Tessa stopped in front of a door. “Here is the section with all we have on religion. I’m very sorry, but this is as far as I can guide you. Please remember to always keep track of each other while inside of the library walls.”

Magnus smiled, looking at Alec. “You needn’t worry about that, Tessa. Alexander and I have faced worse than a confusing building.”

“Yes.” Nodding, Alec smiled confidently. “We always find our way back to each other.”

Tessa raised a curious eyebrow at that, but she made no further comments. She only opened the door, letting them into the room. Once inside, though, Alec realized it was not just a room, but a gallery. Stacks of books, scrolls, and other forms of paper covered the walls, going beyond Alec’s eyes could see.

“That’s a lot of books,” Alec muttered, making Magnus snort.

“Yes, my darling,” Magnus said, sounding delighted. He ran his fingers through the cover of some books. “They weren’t kidding when they said this planet held the knowledge of the entire Galaxy.”

Alec cocked his head to the side, examining the books closest to him. “These are not organized in alphabetical order.” He frowned, trying to find a pattern and failing. He looked around, realizing that the rest of the library's content was in a similar state of chaos. “Or in any order. Sizes, colors, languages. They are all mixed up. Any ideas on how we’ll find the Jedi texts?”

Magnus pushed his lips together as he nodded. “One.” He dropped to the floor gracefully and closed his eyes, leaving the bag he had been carrying on the floor. “Though this might be boring for you.”

Huffing, Alec turned around to let Magnus concentrate. Meditating came naturally to the Jedi, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t a lengthy process. Alec was well aware of how excited Magnus would be and ignoring all that emotion would take time and effort. The best thing for Alec to do was give him some space.

The only thing, actually. 

So Alec grabbed one of the books and waited, flipping through the pages idly. He was on his eleventh book when Magnus finally moved, opening his eyes out of a sudden. “Found them,” Magnus whispered, standing up in a jump and dashing down the corridor. Alec had no choice but to rush after him, only stopping to grab the bag Magnus had forgotten behind.

The chase took them further and further inside of the gallery, revealing another set of twists and turns. Alec could barely keep up as Magnus ran, attracted by the Force’s pull. Magnus muttered to himself, listening to nothing but the texts’ call. They turned left, and then right, and then right again. Up and down, and down and down, right and then left and then up and then-

And then Alec turned left but Magnus wasn’t there. He could still hear the Jedi’s footsteps, but he was nowhere to be seen. “Magnus?” Alec called, clenching to his bag’s stripe. “Magnus?” Alec called again, louder this time.

Nothing. Even Magnus’ footsteps were gone and Alec heard nothing. He swallowed hard, trying to think. Coming back from where he came, Alec turned to the right only to find himself in another corridor made of books and scrolls. He kept walking, calling for Magnus and listening to any sounds around him.

Until he heard something. Alec dashed through the corridor, the ticking sound growing louder at every step. He rushed down some stairs and found the origin of the noise.

In fact, he found the origin of a lot of noises as the droid that was clicking yelped in a fright. “Oh, by the oil in my system!” The droid exclaimed in a female voice, bringing a hand to where her mainframe was probably guarded. It had a humanoid shape and, weirdly, wore fabric over his mechanic body like a dress. “Are you trying to short-circuit me?!”

\---

Magnus could feel them, hear them. It was like they called for him, an insistent whisper. Ragnor had called them sacred and he was right. The Force ran through everything, dead or alive. And the texts seemed to live, though only a latent and faint life. Magnus couldn’t stop or he felt he’d lose them. 

Turning one last time to the left, he closed his eyes. The texts were there, waiting to be found. They called for him.

He stopped at the middle of the corridor and opened his eyes. Magnus was surrounded by a sea of words and papers. Faded colors, black ink, the smell of old books. Ragnor had been right, Magnus loved all of that. But he didn’t have time to dwell on his hobbies. 

Magnus stretched a hand and concentrated again. His fingers ran through the books, guided by the Force. Until they stopped.

The Ancient Jedi Texts were nine volumes of different shapes and colors. They didn’t look much more different than the other books in the section, neither more or less great. Yet, Magnus could feel something as he picked up one of the books. He flipped through the pages, catching a glimpse of a handful of different handwritings. There were drawings too, of the Jedi symbol and different temples. 

“Alexander, come take a look at this, I-” Magnus turned around but didn’t find his boyfriend behind him. “Oh.”

Well, that wasn’t good. Magnus picked up another of the books and was ready to start stacking them when he realized he had left his satchel behind. Rolling his eyes, Magnus grabbed all of the volumes, using the Force to make them stay in place as he thought. 

The planet was a Labyrinth, which meant there were only two ways to find his way around it. Magnus could learn all the twists and turns, either by memorizing them or finding a map. Or he could luck out. There were no maps in sight and Magnus didn’t exactly had the time to trace one in his mind, so he chose the second option and simply started walking.

After all, Alec had said they always found their way back to each other. Magnus believed that with all his heart.

It took a while, but finally Magnus started to hear something other than the silence of the books. Voices. One was unquestionably Alec’s and Magnus could even recognize the annoyance in his tone. That made the Jedi smirk to himself, as his patience was running short too. Now, the other voice… Was that a droid?

“It is not that I don’t believe you,” the droid was saying when Magnus found them, “but, according to my findings, the Jedi are gone. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that you, of all people, came here in the company of one.”

“You don’t have to believe me that Magnus is a Jedi,” Alec said in return, clearly frustrated. “Just, please, help me find him.”

“Oh, of course. After all, I am a mere droid, here to serve at your biologically-living will.”

Magnus decided that was the moment to interfere, lest Alec would blast that droid’s face open. “Alexander,” he called, approaching them both, “I’m here. And I found the texts.” At that, Magnus made the books float carefully to the ground.

So he wanted to prove to a droid that the Jedi weren’t gone. That wasn’t a crime. At least, Magnus wasn’t throwing his robe down to the ground dramatically or chopping people’s hands.

Alec sighed in relief and he was about to say something, but the droid interrupted him. “So you really are a Jedi. That is... interesting.” The droid turned entirely to Magnus, purposefully ignoring Alec’s presence. She bowed slightly. “My name is D0R0TH3A and I am a storage unit. At your service, Master Jedi. Please, call me D0T.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Alec said as he walked up to Magnus and helped him with the Jedi Texts.

Cocking his head to the side, Magnus pushed his lips together in thought. “Actually, we might benefit from the company of a storage unit. Tell me, Dot, what is a droid doing in the religion section of the Spiral Labyrinth?”

“My first Master built me to learn the mysteries of the Galaxy. She thought only with the help of a droid could she hope to gather enough information to demystify the Force and make it understandable,” Dot explained with a hint of nostalgia in her voice. “My master is long gone but I vowed to continue her research.”

Magnus raised a curious eyebrow at that and looked at Alec, who was rolling his eyes. He would need more convincing, then. Magnus looked back at the droid. “How long have you been researching the Force?”

“Fifty-six years. I’ve read every single book in this section.” D0T turned her visor to Alec and put a hand on her waist. “Twice.”

Alec sighed heavily, ignoring her stare-down. “Okay, I see the usefulness of her tagging along.”

Smiling, Magnus patted his boyfriend at the pecs as a thank you. “D0T, darling, could you show Alexander and I to a place where we can spend the night here in the Labyrinth? It seems I have some light reading to do, but I would prefer not to do it on an empty stomach.”

The droid nodded quickly and started to guide them to the section exit, if Magnus wasn’t mistaken. “Right away, Master. There are living quarters not far away from the hangar. You and your servant can stay there.”

“Alexander is not my servant,” Magnus corrected her. “He is my-” He stopped, the word failing him. It was one thing to be openly dating Alec in the Resistance base, even telling Catarina or any one of his friends. But stating that to an unknown droid, and especially one that spent half of a century studying the Jedi religion? Magnus wasn’t sure how she’d react to that. Who she’d tell.

After all, the Jedi were not allowed to fall in love. And Magnus had.

“I’m his pilot,” Alec came to his rescue, voice neutral. It wasn’t a lie, as Alec hated lies more than anything in the Galaxy. But it was true enough and, more importantly, it protected their mission. Magnus could always count on Alec to protect him, even if it meant saying something that made Magnus’ heart ache.

D0T looked between them and there was no way to read her thoughts. Thankfully, she either bought the explanation or didn’t seem to care. “My apologies,” the droid said and continued to guide them back to where they came from.

The living quarters turned out to be a very pretty area close to the hangar, just like D0T had promised. The droid secured Magnus and Alec a room with double beds, which they were quick to bring closer together. There was no servants in the library, which meant no one would wonder around in their business. At night, they didn’t have to put on a front.

Unfortunately, the same wasn’t true during the days. Magnus’ presence stirred curiosity on the other people that lived in the Spiral Labyrinth and many people wanted to see the living and breathing Jedi. That complicated things, both for he and Alec and for studying the Ancient Texts. Ragnor had been right; they were probably the most boring thing Magnus had ever read. It took time and concentration to focus on the reading. Being regularly approached by interesting scholars and philosophers of all points in the Galaxy didn’t help Magnus at all.

Still, he persevered. In two weeks, he had gone over almost all volumes, despite the dullness. That didn’t mean Magnus felt closer to figuring out what Ragnor had discovered, though. His Master had left a couple of pages with notes, but none of them made sense. Mostly, they were just copies of fragments of the Ancient Texts. The way of the Force. The Force is all around us. The Force ties all. 

Magnus was stuck. Those sentences meant little to him, no more than what they did during his training. They were mantras, yes, things to live by. But Magnus needed practical directions, not spiritual ones. Alec, bless his heart, had tried to read the volumes so they could discuss those fragments but, so far, it was D0T that had really been able to help. 

The droid hadn’t been joking when she said she was a storage unit. D0T had the texts memorized, alongside other scriptures that allegedly related to each passage. She and Magnus had spent entire afternoons talking about possibilities. The droid was a better teacher than any of the books. It was because of her that Magnus found out about Mortis, an ethereal realm within the Force. 

“If your Master said he was going somewhere and then disappeared,” D0T said critically when Magnus came to her with his theory, “then it must be there. Mortis was never confirmed to exist but I have seen enough notes to believe in it. I think you’re right, Mags,” the droid nodded to herself. “I think your Master has found a way to enter Mortis.”

Ignoring the term of endearment, Magnus focused on his own notes. Whenever they went too deeply into conversation, D0T would forget all formalities. It always annoyed Alec but Magnus didn’t pay it much thought. “The question is how he did it. None of these texts even confirm the existence of Mortis, let alone how to access it.”

D0T shook her head. “Let me run another search in my registers. There must be something.”

As the droid entered in analysis mode, Magnus sighed. He wished Alec was with them. Unfortunately, the discussions between Magnus and D0T were much too complex for Alec’s level of knowledge on the Jedi religion. Magnus had seen the effort Alec was putting in helping as he stayed awake until late hours reading and studying. But one couldn’t learn in a few days what it took a lifetime for the Jedi to understand.

Lately, Alec had taken into walking around the living areas. They were confusing on their own, but not nearly as much as the library sections. Alec had been able to memorize his way around easily and he even found a training center to keep in shape and practice his shooting. There was an observatory too, where Tessa stayed with the other guardians of the Spiral Labyrinth. They monitored the planet and anyone interested was welcome to stay and watch.

Alec had taken a special liking to that room, so he was probably there. Magnus sighed again and stood up to look at the window. He sipped on his tea and watched the dark universe peeking through the spiraling towers. So many planets, so many stars. Ragnor could be anywhere.

As his mind wondered, though, Magnus saw something that drew his attention. One of the stars was moving and fast. In fact, now that Magnus was paying closer attention, it didn’t look like a star at all. It was a ship, maybe an X-wing. The Resistance? Had Luke sent someone?

But if so, why was the ship coming at such speed? If it kept that trajectory, it would certainly collide against one of the towers and-

“Magnus!” Alec’s voice called in urgency. When Magnus turned, he saw his boyfriend rushing through the door. “We have to go. Now!”

Before Magnus could ask what was that all about, the thunder of a ship crashing through their tower made their living quarters shudder in a sickening motion. Next thing Magnus knew, the entire room was being sucked into space. 

\---

Alec grasped for air for a second before gravity re-established in the room. He looked at Magnus, who had his eyes shut close in concentration. He was the only thing keeping them all from dying in the cold of space. Magnus was using the Force to freeze everything in the roofless room, air included. 

He didn’t have time to waste. Moving fast, Alec pushed everything on the table into Magnus’ bag. He grabbed the droid and ran out of the room, pressing the emergency code on the door. 

Magnus breathed out and propelled himself through the door a second before Alec pressed the button for it to close. The corridor was buzzing in red light and panic. Alec only managed to help Magnus get up before they ran down to the hangar. The Jedi was out of breath, the effort exhausting him. But Hawk Blue was waiting for them, ready to leave. They needed to get to her. 

If it wasn’t for the chaos around it. Alec dashed inside, dropping Magnus’ bag and the droid on the floor. The hangar’s doors were open and a few ships were already escaping through. Only, Hawk Blue was locked as a safety measure since they had been staying for longer than a week. 

It was a good thing, then, that Magnus had a lightsaber to wreck them free. 

Before Alec could finish entering the launching code, though, the droid got out of her stupor. “Mags, I d- What is happening?!” she asked in panic once she realized she wasn’t in the living quarters anymore. “Where is Master Magnus?!”

“Stay down and keep the door open,” Alec said as he took his seat and looked at the panel’s lights. Magnus had slashed free the first lock, only one more to go. “We’re under attack.”

D0T gasped. “What?!”

“The door!” Alec looked at the chaos of ships flying around. “Keep it open until Magn-” He stopped talking when plasma shots destroyed two smaller ships flying out of the building. Without thinking, Alec activated the energy shields around Hawk Blue.

Just in time, because the next thing Alec saw was red shots coming their way. He braced for impact and the entire hangar shook with explosions when Alec shot back, hitting one of the plasma beams in the air. The other one hit Hawk Blue’s shield, right where one of the wings was. 

But it didn’t hit the ground, next to where Magnus was. Alec wouldn’t let that happen.

“Get him inside! Now!” Alec barked to the droid and started to fire at will. The enemy X-Wing had just entered the hangar and it was coming their way. It was a smaller ship, able to maneuver in tight spaces. There was no out maneuvering inside the hangar’s walls. 

Their only hope was the other ships, still trying to escape. They created an ever moving wall between them. The X-Wing didn’t have a shot: if it hit one of the moving pods, he’d be giving Alec an opportunity to strike back in the aftermath of the shot. Basic shooting strategy.

Stormtrooper basic. 

Alec gritted his teeth, finalizing the launch coding. “Magnus!” he yelled, hearing movement behind him.

“I’m here,” Magnus said, panting slightly. “Go!”

There was no need to say it twice. Alec pulled Hawk Blue forward, forcing the X-Wing’s hand. If it didn’t shoot, he’d lost any chances. So it did and the shot, predictability, hit one of the ships between them. Alec could use the explosion as a cover to get a better aim and shoot the X-Wing down.

Instead, he used it as a cover to escape into the dark sky. 

“What just happened?” Magnus asked once Alec traced a way out of the labyrinth of towers around them. “That was a Resistance ship. Why was it shooting at the Spiral Labyrinth?”

Alec pushed his lips together. A few more turns and they’d be able to enter hyperspace. The X-Wing wouldn’t be able to follow when they did. “It wasn’t Resistance and it wasn’t shooting at the planet. It was Raj. He stole one of Catarina’s ships.”

“And he was shooting at us,” Magnus completed, though they both knew Raj was aiming at only one of them.

“Excuse me,” a female voice sounded from behind them and Alec realized the droid was still with them. “Who is Raj? What is going on?”

A shot at the tower right above them interrupted any responses. Raj was back, probably figuring out that if Alec hadn’t shot at him, he’d be trying to escape. Alec was able to avoid the second wave of shots, using one of the towers as a cover. He could feel Magnus tensing behind him and Alec knew why. Whatever had been in those towers now was lost into space.

That gave Alec an idea. He maneuvered Hawk Blue to the side, feeling the weight of Magnus’ eyes on him. But the Jedi didn’t ask, didn’t question. He knew Alec had a plan. Magnus could be the one leading this mission, the one that could get the answers, but it was Alec that would get them out of that chase alive.

“Where are the new towers?” Alec asked D0T when Raj stopped shooting. “The ones still in construction. There has to be some or Tessa wouldn’t say the Labyrinth keeps expanding.”

The droid stared at him but saved her sassiness for a change. She might be annoying, but she wasn’t stupid. Arguing would just get then killed. Connecting with the mainframe, D0T uploaded a rough map of the planet. “Over there,” she said, making an area at their left shine in red.

“Hold tight,” Alec said, feeling calmer. Raj was back at shooting them but to no avail. There were too many towers between them, too many obstacles. Especially when Hawk Blue plunged, getting below his X-Wing. 

The moment Raj’s ship cleared away, Alec pulled Hawk Blue straight up, toward the building section of the planet. Now that D0T had pointed it out, Alec could see how sparses the towers were in that area. It made for the perfect place for Raj to finally land his shot and he didn’t waste time in chasing them up. Even during training rounds, he had never been very patient.

And just like in the training rounds, Alec shot first. As soon as they entered position, he blasted the main trunk of the new towers. They passed through the debris but Raj didn’t have the same luck. He had to skirt around it or risk exploding in a direct collision. 

That moment of distraction was enough. Alec pulled them into hyperspeed with another system as destination. The first one that crossed his mind.

“Everyone okay?” Alec asked once the white stars had turned into straight lines all around them. He smiled when Magnus nodded and, despite the dishavail clothes, the Jedi looked fine. Alec checked on the droid as well and D0T was staring straight at him.

“That wasn’t,” she started, as if looking for words, “entirely catastrophic. But you did destroy a significant part of the renovations.”

Shrugging, Alec pointed at the bag containing the Ancient Jedi Texts. Thankfully, Magnus had only been examining three volumes when Raj attacked, so most of the material had been packed in the bag already. “I also stole the Labyrinth’s property. I hope it is all there.”

Magnus chuckled loudly and took Alec’s hand in his. “What a criminal you’ve become. I’m very proud.”

Alec smiled a little bit brighter, happy that they were all safe. “I had a good teacher.”

“So,” D0T said, sounding as uncomfortable as a droid can be, “what was that guy? Raj, correct? I have no registers of any Raj in the Jedi Order.”

Swallowing hard, Alec moved his hand away from Magnus’. “He isn’t a Jedi. Raj was RJ-7257, a stormtrooper. He’s having a hard time adjusting to being… himself. And it’s my fault.”

The droid shook her head as she often did when she thought something Alec said was foolish. “How could that possibly be your fault? You’re just a pilot.”

“Before I became a pilot, I too was a stormtrooper,” Alec said and he could feel his voice grow cold. Magnus’ worried gaze burned on Alec’s skin, but in the best way possible. Alec let that ground him, detach him from what he had just said. Even if Alec had been a stormtrooper, even if he had been in Raj’s shoes... It all felt like such a long time ago, Alec had no problems talking about it. Not with Magnus right by his side.

Thankfully, D0T only looked away. “Well, if this is so, then you owe me a new coat. All my clothes are back at the Spiral Labyrinth.”

Magnus snorted. “Mine too. And yours.” He breathed in and took his lightsaber out, pressing the button to turn it on. Nothing happened and Magnus sighed. “I was afraid of this. During the blast, my lightsaber was damaged. We need clothes and parts. And a place to stay, at least for tonight. Dot and I think we have found a lead to Ragnor’s location but we need to study the possibilities further.”

Nodding, Alec turned his attention back to space. “Clothes, parts, and a place to hide in.” Hawk Blue reduced to regular speed once they arrived at their destination. They stopped right in front of a big planet, full of forests and rivers. Closer to them, though, there was a city so huge, it could be seen from outer space. 

“Good thing we came to the right place,” Alec said, staring down at the planet. Somewhere down there, the Hunter’s Moon would have a spare bed for them. He had no doubts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Raj :(
> 
> Next on: Maia
> 
> Biggest thank you to my amazing wife and beta, [Lecrit](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lecrit/pseuds/Lecrit). 
> 
> I can be found on [Tumblr](https://ketzwrites.tumblr.com/) and on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/Ketz_CML/). 
> 
> Kudos, comments, and tweets are more than welcome!
> 
> Ketz


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heey, guys!
> 
> Better late than sorry, right? :D

Maia did have a room for them. Which was not surprising at all. The Hunter’s Moon had been renovated after the last time they had crashed there, and it was even bigger now. The decoration had changed, though it kept its rough design. There were more tables now and the bar had doubled in size.

That went along with the rest of the town. The vibrant tents that formed the huge market seemed to have expanded into shops or grown in number. The city had a new energy to it and Magnus could feel it buzzing all around him as he, Alec, and D0T made their way to the Hunter’s Moon. There were more people on the streets and commerce was still open even during the night hours.

Even the clientele of Maia’s bar seemed more elegant, though no amount of bling would hide some of the unsavory faces Magnus recognized. Maia’s wall name of troublemakers was still up and Magnus had a distinct impression it had gotten bigger. But there were some new people too and their eyes shone with the excitement of new opportunities.

It seemed that, without the threat of the Circle hovering over the Galaxy, business was thriving again.

“I can’t get you guys the same room as the last time,” Maia said as she showed them to the accommodations. She had more people working for her this time, which allowed for a personal touch for her friends, as Maia explained. “But I suspect you’ll like this one better.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow at that, but his curiosity was answered when Maia stopped and opened a door for them. The room wasn’t huge but it seemed comfortable and clean. The window gave them a view of the city and it had a strong curtain to shield them away from the world if needed. They had a private bathroom and a sizeable trunk for storage.

Alec stepped next to Magnus and breathed out. “Oh.”

Oh, indeed. More importantly than any of that, the room had one single bed, big enough for them both to sleep on comfortably. Finally.

Maia giggled at their marveled expressions, satisfied. “So, how do you two like it?”

“Perfect.” Magnus smiled and winked at her. “Just like you, my dear.” He was going to add a small quip about putting that bed to good use but then he saw D0T staring at the room. Magnus cleared his throat. “Dot, darling, we living beings could use some rest. Maybe you could occupy yourself with an inventory of what we still have in the meantime, hm? Back at the ship?”

The droid perked and nodded eagerly. “Right away, Master.”

Magnus shook his head, keeping his face blank. “Take your time. I would also like you to compose a list of everything we will need, so we can get our shopping started tomorrow.”

“Got it.” D0T nodded again and then excused herself, disappearing down the hallway.

“Where did you get a new droid?” Maia asked as the three of them entered the room. Alec went straight to the window and surveyed the city, probably locating any possible sources of threats. With the merchant city buzzing with all sorts of crowds, that was a smart move.

Smiling calmly, Magnus sat down on the bed. Very fluffy and yet, firm. No sounds, which was convenient. “We’ve picked her up on our way,” he answered cryptically, batting an eyelash when Maia didn’t seem happy with the answer. “She’s very knowledgeable.”

Shrugging, Maia went back to the door. “Too bad. I miss Simon.”

“Me too,” Alec said from the window and then frowned. “Nobody tell him I said that.”

Maia laughed, shaking her head. “So, will you tell me what brings you back to this chaos of a town or is it another secret mission? I thought the Resistance was no more.”

Alec looked at Magnus, taking his cue after him. The Jedi smiled calmly, cocking his head to the side. “Not a secret mission, my dear, but a personal one instead. I finally have a lead about where my former Master might be.”

“Oh,” Maia said quietly. She furrowed her brow, crossing her arms. “Is he here? I can talk to some of my clients, ask around. I keep an ear out for any news of Force users, but I can dig deeper. If there is anything I can do to help, just say the word.”

Her eagerness was so heartwarming, Magnus felt invigorated. The mission hadn’t been going as smoothly as he would’ve liked. Much of it was due to Magnus’ inability to decipher the Ancient Texts. Unfortunately, though, just like Alec, Maia wouldn’t be able to do much in that regard.

Magnus decided against telling her that. It was enough to witness Alec’s building frustration at his own helplessness, Magnus wouldn’t bring Maia into that. “Actually, we came here because we were attacked,” he said, casually. “Alec saved us, but we had to ditch our clothes. You can imagine my despair.”

Maia cooed appropriately at their immeasurable loss, even if that made Alec roll his eyes at both of them. She chuckled too, looking at them. “Then, you came to the right place. I’ll make a list of my favorite shops.” Maia winked at Magnus and walked up to the door. “But for now, I’ll give you two some privacy. May the Force be with you,” she added and closed the door behind her in her exit.

Alec sighed and crossed his arms, staring back at the moving city. Magnus could see the weariness in him, the stress in his tense shoulders. Looking at the bag with the Ancient Texts, Magnus felt just as tired. Now that they were safe and comfortable, the fatigue of the events in the Spiral Labyrinth seemed to catch up to them.

Though that was a mental fatigue and Magnus knew there were ways to deal with it. Relax the mind and tire the body were two of them. He could meditate for a while, yes, but that would do little for Alec. There was something, however, that could help both of them. Something that Magnus had missed in these weeks of pure theoretical research in the Spiral Labyrinth.

Smirking, Magnus got comfortable on the bed. Their big, ample bed. “Alexander,” he purred. When Alec turned to him, Magnus pulled his chin up just a bit. “Come here.”

Alec exhaled through his mouth, all stress leaving his body at once. “Do we have the time, though?” he asked in a soft voice, his tone begging for one answer specifically.

Magnus’ smirk turned into a predatory thing. He moved a hand, pulling the lock on the door close. “For each other, Alexander, we always do.”

That was the right answer. Alec didn’t hesitate anymore, crossing the bedroom until he was comfortably placed between Magnus’ legs. Magnus was happy to feel how hard Alec already was against the fabric of his pants. “I’ve missed you,” Alec said, though the way he kissed Magnus was testimony enough of that.

Good, because Magnus had missed him too.

\---

Alec wasn’t accustomed to the feeling of complete powerlessness. Even when he was a stormtrooper, just a piece in the grand machine of the Circle, he felt like his existence had a purpose. It was a false purpose, lies fed to him in order to keep him in check, but a purpose nonetheless. What he did, the training and violence, it all meant something. Alec existed to safe keep peace in the Galaxy.

When he joined the Downworlder Resistance, that purpose became true. Alec did something; he’d found his family, he’d stopped Aldertree, he’d helped taking down Valentine. He had been a part of that war, his actions had meant something.

Now, however, he felt pointless. Alec knew he had been the final push to encourage Magnus, but the Jedi would’ve tried to find his Master regardless of Alec being there or not. Magnus had never completely given up on the search. He could be more or less determined, but if ten years of war didn’t dissuade Magnus from thinking about Ragnor, peace certainly wouldn’t. It was just a matter of time until Magnus tried again.

All Alec did was accelerate that process. He’d piloted Hawk Blue, yes, but Magnus could pilot a ship all by himself. He didn’t need a chauffeur to carry him across the Galaxy. The only thing Alec had managed to accomplish was upsetting Raj so much, Catarina’s treatment was rendered null. 

That and shopping. Magnus and D0T had stayed in the Hunter’s Moon studying the Ancient Jedi Texts and discussing the finer points of the Force. As much as he wanted to help, Alec was nowhere near their level of knowledge on the topic. His presence there would only hinder down the conversation, so he chose to do something useful instead and shop for clothes and supplies. A practical, but utterly stupid decision on his part. Alec hated shopping.

He sighed heavily, which brought Maia’s attention to him. Alec had been staring blankly at two seemingly identical patterns that he knew for sure Magnus would love. Only Magnus would actually notice the difference while Alec just… didn’t. He only thought they looked nice.

“The one on the left is prettier,” Maia said helpfully. Alec didn’t know why she had tagged along, but he sure was thankful to it. Shopping for himself meant a lot of black and beige materials but Alec wanted to do right by Magnus. It was much harder than he thought it’d be. Although it was even more rewarding when Maia approved of his choices.

“Thanks,” Alec said and picked up the robe Maia suggested. “This is very… confusing.”

Maia chuckled and pointed to the almost-full bag Alec was carrying. “Well, you’re doing a great job. Those are gorgeous and definitely Magnus’ style.” She winked at him. “Want to try your hand on some jewelry next?”

“Let’s not go crazy,” Alec said. He didn’t repress a smile when Maia laughed. Maybe shopping wasn’t his favorite activity, but it still felt better than staring at old scrolls that made no sense to him. 

As they walked around the market and Maia pushed them into stores, Alec realized he had missed this kind of normalcy after all. Just hanging out with someone he cared about, doing small things such as choosing the color he liked best. He didn’t have to be unraveling the greater mysteries of the universe all the time.

No, that was unfair. Being around Magnus was much more than delving into the Jedi religion. As frustrated as he was, Alec couldn’t let that spoil what they had. He’d known Magnus was special, even during the time Alec hated Magnus for kidnapping him. It wasn’t the Force that had made Magnus break Alec free; that was all on Magnus’ heart. 

And Magnus’ heart was more special than any affinity to the Force could ever be. He was more than a Jedi, more than the abstraction of a legend. Magnus was a real man and Alec loved him for it.

Maia stopped abruptly when they exited the store they had been shopping in. “How about we take a break? I could use a refreshment.”

“What do you have in mind?” Alec asked and immediately regretted when a devious smile spread on Maia’s lips.

It turned out Alec had been only partly right to be apprehensive. Maia guided him to a less prestigious part of the town, not too far away from where they were shopping. As they left the market area, Alec noticed a starking difference in the buildings and the people. 

The streets became emptier and narrower. The people no longer talked loudly among themselves, with the exception of drunkards that wandered from one bar to another. The clothing seemed less colorful and Alec noticed it covered a lot of faces instead of being used as decoration. Even the shopkeepers were quieter there, no longer smiling at the customers to invite them in.

Maia walked faster now, but she didn’t seem unfamiliar with the part of town. It didn't take long until they stopped in front of a building. It looked better kept than its neighbors, but Alec could see marks of blasts on the walls and the door had been broken a couple of times. To Alec’s surprise, Maia pushed the door open, revealing a bar. 

“Come on,” she said and rushed Alec inside. “This place is almost as good as mine, but it’s only half as expensive.”

Alec had no choice but to follow her. The sullen eyes of the people around them were making him uneasy.

“It’s because of the area of the city,” Maia explained as they sat on a table by the window. “They could be charging way more but then nobody would show up here. People with that kind of money don’t mix with scruffy-looking nerf herders.” She gestured to the bar, ordering something for both of them. “Their loss, our gain.”

Alec snorted and looked around. Maia was right; the place was crowded with the worst filth of the Galaxy. They made the patrons in the Hunter’s Moon look chic in comparison. Every fiber of Alec’s stormtrooper’s training screamed for him to get his gun and start shooting. 

He smiled instead and accepted his cup when the rough-looking waitress brought it to him. As Maia chatted with the waitress, Alec took another look at their surroundings. Despite their rugged appearance, most customers were just drinking quietly. Nothing on them struck Alec as dangerous, just poor and unkept.

Weirdly, though, there was a group at the far corner of the bar that stood out to Alec. He didn’t recognize their faces or clothes, but there was something about them that made it impossible for him to look away. Two men and a woman, neither talking to the others while they drank. Now that Alec was paying attention, he realized they stood apart from the rest of the customers. Other people threw dirty looks at their direction and none of the waitresses approached them to offer refills.

“So,” Maia said once the waitress was gone, “who managed to send you and Magnus running away without your stuff?”

Oh, of course. Maia had been dropping hints that she wanted to know more about their mission and Alec had willfully ignored them all. It seemed she had changed tactics to a more direct approach. 

“A former stormtrooper,” Alec said, tired of dodging the subject. “Admiral Catarina was treating him along with others, but seeing me… It made him snap. He followed us to the Spiral Labyrinth and blasted open the room we were in. We had to leave before he destroyed more towers.”

Alec waited for a word of sympathy or some understanding. Back at the base, former stormtroopers would sometimes revert to their whitehead days depending on the situation. Alec himself still felt the pull of his training when he needed to act on instinct. 

General Luke had installed a procedure for when it happened. Resistance agents would help the former stormtroopers calm down and remember who they were. It didn’t always work smoothly, but the results had been gotten better and better. The transition was hard, but the joint efforts made it happen.

But Maia only frowned, disdain coloring her pretty face. “Too bad you couldn’t blow him up,” she said in a low tone. Her eyes moved to the strange trio at the back of the bar and there was a ferocity in her expression that wasn’t there before.

It was then that Alec realized what he recognized in those three. “They are former stormtroopers too,” Alec whispered.

“If only it was just them.” Maia rolled her eyes. “The city is infested. Troublemaker scum.” She gestured around discreetly. “This place used to be decent. Not high class, but perfectly good. Ever since the Circle was dismantled, the worst of the Galaxy showed up. Thieves, murderers, stormtroopers. Bunch of parasites. I was lucky they chose this part of town to hover on or the Hunter’s Moon would look just like this.”

“But the Clave is helping the former stormtroopers,” Alec protested. “Back at the Base, we-” Something in Maia’s expression made him stop. “What? I’ve seen it. Both the ones that have been rehabilitated and the ones the Admiral is still working with. I’m a former stormtrooper too.”

Shifting in her seat, Maia lowered her voice. “Look, I’m not saying it can’t be done. I wouldn’t be friends with you if I thought that. But however noble General Luke’s intentions are, he can’t change the Clave’s ways all by himself. Just because the Resistance Base is doing something, it doesn’t mean the same is happening all around the Galaxy.” 

Alec frowned, refusing to accept that. If something wasn’t going according to plan, they’d change it. Alec would talk to Luke, bring the matter to the Clave. Not everyone in the Circle’s army would be able to fully recover, but that was no reason not to offer them their best chance.

Maia took a sip of her drink. She didn’t seem angry anymore, just sad. “Believe me, Alec. This town isn’t the only place that actually preferred it when that white buckets were still on. At least we’d know where to aim. Now the monsters are lurking everywhere, unrecognizable until they shoot you down first.” 

Shaking his head, Alec was ready to argue but he felt a weird chill run down his body. He automatically looked at the direction of the trio and, sure enough, one of them was staring straight at him. His eyes were dark; no pupils, no life, no soul.

Like the black eyes of a stormtrooper mask.

\---

Rain was pouring outside of the Hunter’s Moon. The sound was calming and it muffled the muttering in the bar area. There weren’t many customers, thanks to both the rain and the hour. The early afternoon wasn’t the time people usually sought out drinks. 

But it was the time Magnus felt most productive. He had read through all nine volumes of the Ancient Texts so many times he could probably quote them by heart. Together with D0T’s pointers, Magnus had filled up two notebooks worth of notes and possible meanings to the Jedi teachings. They were all about the Force and how perseverance and serenity were the way to achieve peace. It was a beautiful sentiment, but it sent Magnus right back to his early and boring lessons. Restraint. Control. Not of the Force itself, but of the being. 

There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force.

The Jedi Code.

Magnus circled the title on his notes. Ragnor used to go on and on about it. Magnus remembered trying to be cheeky and justify his romantic escapades on keeping his social life serene and peaceful, but that only made his Master laugh. 

Laugh and tell Magnus to repeat the code a thousand times before the lesson was done. Magnus ended up missing the date he had that night. Which Ragnor pointed out was very ignorant of him, so Magnus was probably on the right track at last. That jerk.

“What?” D0T asked suddenly, yanking Magnus out of his trip to memory lane. “You’re smiling, Mags. Did you discover something?”

Shaking his head, Magnus closed his notebook. “Not quite. Just remembered something my Master told me. Unfortunately, it isn’t very relevant for us, dear.” 

He looked around from the table they were sitting to the bar, where Alec and Maia were chatting. Every so often, Maia would burst into laughter after Alec made a face at the new drink she offered him. They had a collection of glasses in different shapes and sizes in front of them and Maia was determined to find out Alec’s favorite drink.

The scene made Magnus smile. They had been staying at the Hunter’s Moon for five days now; enough time for Alec to learn about the town and gather everything they needed to continue with their mission. Or almost everything; Alec hadn’t been able to locate the part Magnus needed to fix his lightsaber. That wasn’t surprising, though. Magnus didn’t think there would be lightsaber parts laying around and he hadn’t had the time to look for suitable alternatives yet.

Regardless, Alec seemed to be keeping himself busy while Magnus and D0T deciphered the Ancient Texts. He would help Maia with the bar, disappear for a stroll around the town, keep Hawk Blue ready to leave if needed. Alec was also the reason why Magnus was still fed and well-rested. In his research, Magnus would often forget to eat and sleep. Having a droid as a study companion didn’t exactly help with keeping track of his body’s needs.

Watching Alec and Maia try another drink tempted Magnus to join them for a sip or two. He was completely stuck, so maybe fuzzing up his brain would help. D0T had made lists of all places mentioned by the texts where Ragnor could’ve ended up at, but each had been crossed as impossibilities. 

The First Jedi Temple at Arch-To had been destroyed, the others were long abandoned. Magnus had used Meliorn’s web of spies to be sure of that years ago. The Jedi master ships such as Brighthome and Crucible had been blown into pieces by the Circle. Magnus had even briefly considered Ragnor’s home planet before remembering that Ragnor would first die before going back to the gray and humid swamp he was from. 

What had Ragnor said in that transmission to Catarina? Magnus closed his eyes and concentrated, reaching into his own mind. Ragnor’s voice filled his ears. _If my conclusions are right, I’m closer than I thought._

Closer than he thought. Ragnor had been at the Spiral Labyrinth when he said that. Did that mean they should go back there? No. There was something more than that. _In fact, we all are._

Ragnor didn’t mean closer as in a distance. That old man was about as literal as the damn Ancient Texts. He was also just as snarky. _The answer is so simple, I can’t believe no one has discovered it yet._ Well, it wasn’t as simple as he thought. 

“Are you thirsty?” D0T, bless her, asked. Magnus figured he had been staring at Alec and Maia for too long. “I could fetch something for you.”

Magnus smiled fondly at her. For all of her condescending attitude towards non Force-users, D0T was still very endearing and she seemed to truly care for Magnus. How mind-blowingly boring it must have been to be stuck in a library for fifty years when she could have read the entire knowledge contained in there in a couple of days. “No, my dear. My mind is just wandering away.”

D0T cocked her head to the side and her visor focused behind Magnus, straight at Alec. “So maybe the other kind of thirst, then.”

Good thing Magnus hadn’t gotten that drink or he would’ve spilled it all. “I beg your pardon?”

The droid chuckled to herself. “I may not have organic feelings but I’m not blind, Mags. You and your pilot are more than mission companions.” She had the decency of lowering her voice. “I won’t say I understand it, as it goes against the Jedi way. But my first Master always said even the Jedi had flaws. I’m happy yours is love. That is a good one, as far as flaws go.”

Magnus was inclined to argue that love wasn’t a flaw at all, but that was more out of habit than anything else. He and Ragnor had had that discussion thousands of times. As noble as the Jedi Code was, it didn’t make sense to him, not completely. Living beings were made of passion, of emotions. That was what separated them from droids and machines. It was passion that drove General Luke to form the Downworlder Resistance, it was fervor that gave Magnus the strength to withstand Sebastian’s torture. 

And it was love that kept him looking for Ragnor after almost ten years had passed. It didn’t matter how ignorant he was or how passionate. Magnus would find his Master through the chaos. He had to, now that he was so close. They had come so far, Magnus couldn’t imagine giving up now.

_Do not fear, though. The Force is with me._

“The Force,” Magnus whispered to himself. “There is no Death, there is the Force. Dot, what is the Force?”

“The Force is the energy that connects all living things in the galaxy,” the droid recited efficiently. 

Magnus shook his head. “It is more than that, though. When a Master Jedi dies, they become one with the Force. Their bodies disappear, they physically move somewhere. Those who have mastered the Force sight can literally see it. My Master could make Force blinding, turning the Force into pure light so strong it blinded whoever stared at it.”

D0T stared blankly at him. “I don’t follow.”

“What if we’ve been going about this wrongly?” Magnus grabbed the third volume of the Ancient Texts. He remembered reading something there that might help. “What if Master Ragnor can’t be found because he isn’t here? As in, in the Galaxy.”

His agitation must have drawn the other’s attention because Maia’s laughs stopped. Magnus didn’t look away from the book as he stood up, but he could feel Alec’s eyes on him. That made him smile, encouraging Magnus to keep going. “My Master said ‘the Force is with me.’ That’s a part of a saying. The one from the Guardians of the Whills.” 

“The Guardians of the Whills were protectors of the Temple of the Kyber,” D0T recited again, reading through her sources. “They formed a religious order of monks based in the city of Jedha. Their most famous saying was-”

"I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me," Magnus said, opening the third volume at the section about the Temple of the Kyber. Ragnor had circled that saying, or rather the first part of it. “He didn’t go anywhere, not really. He became one with the Force.”

D0T brought a hand to her speaker. “He died,” she said, sounding shocked.

Magnus smiled softly. “No, not quite. As devoted as they were, the Guardians weren’t quite as versed as the Jedi. Dying isn’t the only way to get inside of the Force, though it is the final one. The permanent one.” Magnus flipped through the pages again. “If I’m right, Master Ragnor would’ve been looking for a temporary connection. He had no intention to leave his work unfinished.”

He smiled more when he found what he was looking for. “Although it is interesting that you would bring up death, my dear.” Magnus pointed at a rough illustration, something made of memories and reports. It couldn’t be otherwise as the place didn’t belong in the physical realm and so could not be captured by technology.

Mortis. A realm of the Force. It wasn’t a location, but rather a part of the Force. As such, it was close to everyone. A simple answer, one that had been dangling in front of them but yet nobody had reached. It hadn’t scared Ragnor and it didn’t scare Magnus now.

Magnus looked at Alec, drinking at the intensity in his boyfriend’s expression. He smiled and then closed his eyes, feeling the pulse of the Force dancing through him. It felt electric, as if it could feel Magnus’ excitement. Magnus channeled it, using that power to connect with the Force. 

This time he didn’t reach for Ragnor. Inside of a realm of the Force, his Master’s signature would’ve disappeared completely. Magnus needed to reach for something else, much stronger and ancient. He needed to reach for the Force itself, the very root of it. 

As he did, Magnus expected some resistance. Accessing the Force wasn’t supposed to be easy nor difficult, but it was complicated. The raw power had a will of its own, something apart of anything a Force user could control. It was something much bigger than all of them. The will of the Force was the will of life and death or violence and peace. The will of true balance.

Magnus felt a disturbance around him, pressure coming and going all around his body. He couldn’t feel the ground beneath him but he was still standing. Not daring to open his eyes, Magnus let all of that pass through him. It knocked the air out of his lungs, it made his knees weak and shaking. It tired his limbs and made his mind go numb.

Until every sensation was back, all at once in such an overwhelming blow Magnus almost fell to his knees.

He opened his eyes then, first focusing on himself. Magnus didn’t feel anything different about his body, no strain on his muscles or injuries of any kind. His heartbeat was back to normal and Magnus no longer felt pressure crushing him. He was fine. 

Smiling again, Magnus turned to stare at Alec. A simple gesture, one that brought him comfort. But Alec wasn’t there. In fact, nothing else was. Magnus wasn’t at the Hunter’s Moon anymore, all that had surrounded him had stayed behind. 

Magnus had made the transition but he did completely alone. 

\---

One second Magnus was there and then, the next, he wasn’t. Alec only realized he had held his breath when he ran to the table where Magnus had been sitting and had to gasp for air. He grabbed Magnus’ chair, leaning on it to stay standing.

“What happened?” Alec demanded in a low voice, one that he barely recognized as his own.

D0T seemed to be in a state of stupor but the question shook her out of it. “I don’t- I don’t know.”

“How can you not know?” Alec moved his hand as if passing it through where Magnus had been would make him easier to find. “You’re a storage unit, your only function is to know things.”

Alec didn’t really know what he was saying. He just felt like he needed to speak, to do something. Anything. Magnus was gone, disappeared into nothingness. Jace had told Alec about the Jedi that had become one with the Force. Alec had even joked that it wouldn’t happen to Magnus because Magnus was too stubborn to die and would live forever out of sheer will. 

Jace had agreed to that with a laugh, but then explained that becoming one with the Force wasn’t as much of a death as it was a transition. The Jedi powerful enough to do that became Force Ghosts, visible but not alive.

There was no way Alec was dating a ghost. No way.

D0T seemed to be about to start panicking, her hands moving way to quickly as she tried to grab whatever Magnus had been reading. Alec stopped her before she damaged the old paper. Her panic grounded Alec and he ceased control, authority pouring through his voice. “Dot, listen to me. What was the last thing Magnus said?”

“H-he said,” the droid focused, looking confused at herself. “He said it was interesting that I brought up…” She stopped but Alec glared at her. Instead of saying anything, D0T moved her free hand to command buttons on her chest. Magnus’ voice came from her speaker. “Although it is interesting that you would bring up death, my dear.”

No. Alec let go of her and grabbed the book himself. He tried to make sense of the writings but all he saw was the drawings of a landscape. There was a name to the place, though. Mortis.

“What does that mean?” Alec asked, pointing at the word.

“Death,” D0T translated quickly. That caused Alec’s heart to skip a beat but then rationalization came. Magnus’ voice had no fear in it, only that quirky tone Magnus did when he was playing with language. He didn’t mean death as in his death, but rather as that place’s name. It made sense or at least Alec wanted it to. He clung to that explanation tightly, ignoring the part of his brain that said that wanting something to be true didn’t mean it would be.

The droid continued, oblivious to Alec’s thoughts. “Master Magnus said death wasn’t the answer. There is another way to become one with the Force that isn’t dying. It is a temporary way.”

“Alec!” Maia exclaimed, taking the book from his hands and placing it carefully at the table. Alec didn’t realize she had followed him. “Calm down, we’re going to find him. People can’t just disappear.”

No, ordinary people can’t. But Magnus was the furthest thing from ordinary. If that’s what had happened to Ragnor, Magnus wouldn’t have hesitated to follow his Master into whatever place they were now. He’d dive right into it, not a trace of fear in his heart. Only... Ragnor hadn’t come back, had he?

Did that mean Magnus was lost too?

“I have to get him back,” Alec said quickly, before desperation took over his voice. It would have to wait until the crisis was solved. Until Magnus was back at his arms, safe and sound.

“You can’t.” D0T shook her head and her tone was melancolic. “Whatever just happened, Master Magnus used the Force to do it. Unless one of you is Force sensitive, there is nothing any of us can do.” She seemed as miserable as a droid could be. “I’m sorry.”

Alec shook his head. That couldn’t be true. He had to do something, anything. Magnus was in danger and Alec had to save him. They were a team and they looked after one another. That meant finding solutions to everything, including this.

“We need a Force sensitive person,” Alec thought out loud. “Jace. I’ll tell him what happened and he’ll find Magnus in there. Magnus was Jace’s Master, they have a connection. I need a communicator.”

Maia nodded and quickly ran behind the bar. Alec counted six loud heartbeats before she found the machine and tossed it over to him.

But the communicator never reached Alec. It was shot into pieces by a blast of plasma.

Alec frowned and turned to the door of the Hunter’s Moon, where the shot had come from. It was open, the raining pouring strong outside. There was a single lonely figure at the door, soaked wet and raging. Raj. He had a pistol in hand and it was aiming at Alec.

“Found you, traitor,” Raj said and pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, huge thank you to [Lecrit](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lecrit/pseuds/Lecrit). This time she even knew there were references to the movies! So proud <3
> 
> I can be found on [Tumblr](https://ketzwrites.tumblr.com/) and on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/Ketz_CML/). 
> 
> Kudos, comments, and tweets are more than welcome!
> 
> Ketz


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone!
> 
> Ready to learn how our boys didn't actually die? Let's do this!

The dry sound of plasma meeting metal exploded in Alec’s ears. It was louder than the hiss of the gun and it felt warmer too. But there was no pain, just the ghost of the impact’s shock. 

D0T collided against him, her small frame feeling hard against Alec’s chest. There was smoke coming from the point where the shot had blasted her arm off. The rest of the metal limb fell useless over the table, detached by an ugly deformation at the base of the shoulder. 

There was no time to waste, though. Alec kicked the table in front of him, turning it into a cover as he ducked down, D0T in his arms. Maia joined them just in time. Three new blasts passed over them, right where they had been standing.

“I’ll kill him for this,” Maia grunted, watching the burned marks on the wall. 

“No.” Alec put the droid down carefully and took a look at her blasted joint. Clary would be able to fix that. Any mechanic would. She was fine. “Thank you.”

D0T stared at him through her cold visors. “You are important to Master Magnus,” she said, as if that explained why she had maimed herself to save Alec. Maybe it did but she elaborated. “I couldn’t let you die while he’s gone. He’d be upset.”

Alec snorted, not knowing exactly what to answer. He focused on the implication that Magnus would be back. Because he would. He had to. 

Maia moved at his side, peeking over the table. She was almost shot for her trouble. “Guys, fewer pleasantries and more shooting back. That jerk isn’t going to stop anytime soon.”

Looking around, Alec saw that the few other patrons were gone. Raj had let them leave, which meant he came for Alec and Alec alone. That was good. As long as they stayed out of the way, Maia and D0T were safe. Although, judging by Maia’s claws and the spooky green glow on her eyes, Alec doubt she was planning to stay out of the fight at all. 

Another round of three sets of shots, this time on the table, made Alec’s heart bang hard against his chest. They cover wouldn’t hold for much longer. Clicking his tongue, Alec grabbed his own pistol. He put it on stunt mode and waited for a window. 

“Show yourself, traitor!” Raj roared after opening a gash on the wall. “Coward! Your Jedi friend isn’t here to save you, so come out and face me!”

Alec gritted his teeth. He couldn’t think of Magnus. That only led to despair and a paralyzing sense of uselessness. It was so much worse than not being able to help Magnus and D0T decipher the Jedi Texts. At least Alec had been able to work around his deficiency. He’d kept Magnus well-taken care of and handled the mundane worries so Magnus would have a clear state mind. They had worked as a team, a unit.

Now, Magnus was in active danger and there was absolutely nothing Alec could do to rescue him. Nothing at all.

“Come on!” Raj cried out again, his voice husky and desperate. “Face me!”

Closing his eyes, Alec concentrated. He had to focus. Magnus was always meditating so Alec would do that too. Clear his mind and find a priority. Facing the fact that fretting over Magnus would lead him nowhere, Alec forced that worry out of his brain. He couldn’t break now. At that moment, he had to take care of Raj. 

It shouldn’t be hard. Back in stormtrooper academy, Alec had always been better than him in every exercise. Grades, performances, scores. Raj was a good soldier, but Alec had always been more than just that. Alec was the one groomed for command while Raj was doomed to follow orders. 

Shooting him down would be the easiest path, the choice Alec would’ve made if he was still wearing the white uniform. A slightly different approach would be aiming for Raj’s gun: disarming and knocking him out. 

That was a plan. Something Alec could do. Something Alec had done a hundred times before. 

“Protect the droid,” Alec whispered to Maia. He turned around and started shooting. 

The first blast hit the chair right next to Raj. The explosion of wood and metal distracted him, making Raj jump to the side. The second blast hit right in front of Raj’s feet and that made him step back. 

The third blast never came. Raj waited for it, expecting the pattern of three shots they had been taught to shoot. Alec knew that, so he used the moment of surprise to roll away from the coverage of the table. That would put Maia and D0T out of the line of shooting.

Raj saw him move and steadied himself. Alec had his gun ready again and the chairs and tables gave him enough coverage to make Raj hesitate. There was a window there. Alec was the superior marksmen and both of them knew it. Raj held his breath, bracing for impact. 

But Alec didn’t shoot. Instead, he stood up and left his gun on a table. With both hands in the air, Alec took a step closer to Raj. “I am not going to shoot you,” he said firmly. 

Maia hissed something from behind the table, but Alec didn’t dare look directly at her. From where he stood, he could see that both she and D0T were fine and well hidden. Let them stay that way. 

Anger colored Raj’s face and he pointed his gun at Alec again. “What kind of trick is this? Are you trying to mock me?!”

“It isn’t a trick.” Alec clenched his teeth. “You’re not my enemy, I don’t have to shoot you. I won’t.” Inhaling sharply, Alec took another step closer to Raj. “So, please, don’t shoot me.”

It didn’t seem to work. Alec kept his voice down, moved as slowly as possible. But Raj’s eyes were wide and frantic, refusing to stop as he considered Alec’s words. There were fear and anger too. But there was something else there. A vendetta that went beyond the brainwash of the Circle. 

Because this was personal. Raj might not be Alec’s enemy, but Alec sure was his. Everything that had happened to the stormtroopers has started out with him. The day Magnus kidnapped Alec might have created a sparkle but it was Alec’s decision to turn against the Circle that lighted the fire. He found his own identity but what about the thousands that couldn’t?

What about the thousands that, like Raj, were yanked away from everything they believed in, told they were safer now, and treated as sick people? Or worse, what about those that knew they weren’t sick but only knew how to follow others of the violent shadow of the Circle? Those who learned that shooting first meant keeping the Galaxy in peace?

One step at a time, though. Alec drew closer still. 

Raj raised his pistol higher, aim at Alec’s forehead. From that distance, even a stunt shot could be lethal. Though Raj’s pistol was not in stunt mode. 

“This is a trick,” Raj muttered to himself. “You spent too much time with the rebels. With that Jedi you were with. You were a good soldier once. But now you became like him. He lies and cheats, Alec. He makes you lie and cheat too.”

No. The ones that did that were the Circle. But Raj couldn’t accept that. Not now, when that meant he had fought for the wrong side until the very end. Not when it meant he had been one of the bad guys they were meant to fight.

Alec swallowed hard. He was tired, so terribly tired. The war was supposed to be over and, with it, all the horrors. And it wasn’t. Raj was living proof that all their suffering wasn’t been enough. Others would suffer too. People would hurt and kill. People would die. 

And Magnus… Magnus was gone and out of Alec’s reach. 

“Please,” Alec whispered, realizing he was shaking. He couldn’t break now, but he couldn’t stop it either. Not when it came to the man he loves. “Magnus- He disappeared. I need to find him. I don’t have time to explain but… But I need to find him.”

Raj blinked and the anger wavered from his face. He seemed uncertain. Although, the tears in Alec’s eyes blurred his vision, so he wasn’t sure. Everything was falling apart and Alec couldn’t ignore it any longer. 

“Help me,” Alec breathed out. He tried to inhale again, but the air got caught in his throat. “Please, I-I need help. He’s gone, Raj. I can’t reach him.”

Alec could barely breathe, the weight of realization crumbling onto him. Raj cocked his head to the side. “You’ve never asked me for help,” he said, voice stable. “Never. I was always there and you never once asked for my help.”

“I am now.” Alec swallowed hard. “I don’t know what to do.”

Nothing happened. In the tense silence, Alec expected the sound of the shot at any moment. Raj looked at him almost incredulously, as if he too didn’t understand what was taking him so long. Maia peeked over the table again but thankfully didn’t attack. She seemed to be waiting for something.

Raj lowered his gun and, from the corner of his eyes, Alec saw Maia smile. “I’ll help you,” Raj said. “That’s my job. To help others.” He seemed to grow more certain at every word. “That is what I was trained for.”

The wave of relief that washed over Alec was so strong, he almost fell to his knees. Closing his eyes, Alec breathed out again. “Thank you,” he whispered, though Alec didn’t know if it was for Raj or for whatever had made this happened.

If Magnus was there, he might have said it had been the Force. Balance had been found, not in violence or death, but in peace and alliance.

But he wasn’t. And Alec didn’t know what to do to change that.

\---

There was Light all around Magnus. Intense and yet soft. It touched him, warming his skin and soothing his worries. When it did, everything in the world felt right, serenity reigned free and numbed every other feeling in Magnus’ heart. It was greatness, a sense of belonging to something much bigger than himself.

And there was Darkness too. Cold and harsh. It lurked at the corner of Magnus’ eyes, its presence not quite hidden but not clear either. Whenever Magnus focused on it, his heartbeat would race up. There was passion in the dark, mysteries waiting to be unraveled, knowledge that could answer his deepest questions. There was danger too and a thirst for power just waiting to consume him.

Magnus breathed in, lost in all of that. It was hard to focus, to remember why he was there. A mission, yes. There was always a mission, a purpose. Magnus had to find someone, someone he loved dearly. And then, he had to bring them back for there was someone else waiting for him. He loved that person too but in a different way. But who were those people?

A whisper sounded behind Magnus. A name: Ragnor Fell. That was the man Magnus was searching for. His Master, his friend. Magnus breathed out, concentrating. The mission came back to him slowly, details forming in his mind. Ragnor was somewhere in there and now Magnus could find him.

Moving his leg, Magnus realized he was standing in a field of grass. Weird, luminescent grass that tickled his feet. His shoes were gone. Magnus frowned but didn’t let it bother him. Where to begin looking, though?

Up in front of him, there was a cabin. Magnus hadn’t noticed it until then. It wasn’t big or luxurious, but it looked comfortable. It looked like somewhere Ragnor would love to live in. Magnus walked up to it slowly, feeling the grass kiss his feet. So soft, especially when compared to rough sand. He was happy to find Ragnor in such a beautiful place. So much better than the desert where they had parted.

The door opened when Magnus approached it and he entered the cabin. There were so many things inside. Paintings, books, furniture. A teapot and written paper. There were robes over a chair and a lightsaber on the table. A mess, though an organized one.

“Oh, there you are,” a familiar voice came from another room. Magnus looked up and saw Ragnor standing there, a book in hand. “Took you long enough, hm?” Ragnor shook his head and gestured for Magnus to follow. “Don’t just stand there, Magnus. Come, I want to show you something.”

Blinking, Magnus waited for the shock to take him. There Ragnor was, looking alive and well. Magnus had done it; he found him. And yet, it didn’t feel like it. There were no tears in Magnus’ eyes, no urge to embrace his Master. It felt like they had seen each other just the night before.

Magnus shook his head and turned around to close the door behind him. He was surprised to see nothing at all beyond the cabin’s porch, just black. The grass was gone, though light shone through the windows as if it was day.

Ignoring it, Magnus shut the door and followed his Master to the next room. It was a study, walls made of a swarm of books and scrolls. Ragnor had sat down at a table and was looking over some notes. He didn’t look a day older than what Magnus remembered. His hair was slightly longer, but other than that Ragnor had the same wrinkles in his forehead, the same glimmer in his eyes. 

Ragnor rolled his eyes, not even looking at Magnus. “Please, take your time. It’s not like I’ve been waiting for you or anything.”

“Have you?” Magnus asked even though he could hear the sarcasm in his Master’s voice. “Have you been waiting for me during all this time?”

“All this time.” Ragnor frowned and his nonchalant attitude gave place to scorn. “So dramatic. I know you are angry that I had to leave you with the rebels, but it was important. You’re young, but you will understand one day. Once the war is over and the Circle has been defeated.”

Magnus gritted his teeth. “The war is over and the Circle has been defeated.”

That, at last, made Ragnor look up to him. “Already? How did Luke manage to do that? I’d figured it would take at least a couple of years.”

Magnus felt like he should’ve been angrier than he was. But, in that lovely cabin and under that calming light, anger felt out of place. All he wanted to do was sitting beside his Master and ask what he wanted to show him. It was so bright in there, though. It was difficult to keep his eyes open.

As soon as he closed his eyes, Magnus was taken over by anger. It was there, only kept at bay by the intense light. He had to concentrate to hang on to it. When he opened his eyes again, the room had turned a little darker. He could keep his eyes open now. “Ragnor, you were gone for ten years.” Magnus walked up to him and sat down. “A lot has happened but right now all you need to know is that you can come back. We are rebuilding the Jedi Order and I need you to guide me.”

“What?” Ragnor asked, smiling as if Magnus had just told him a particularly lame joke. “Ten years? It’s only been a few months, my friend. I’ve kept records of my days in this place.”

“It’s so nice to know you have a diary,” Magnus said, irritation taking over him. “Now you’ll you stop doubting me and listen for once in your life?”

Ragnor huffed indignantly. He was rolled his eyes at Magnus and searched through his notes, probably looking for the notes were he kept track of time. It was hard to know, though, as the room kept growing darker. Stupid, stubborn Ragnor. Could he stop treating Magnus like a kid and just believe him?

Magnus frowned when realization dawned on him. Mortis was located in the Force. That meant they were literally inside the Light and the Dark. Those forces changed according to one’s choices. Ragnor had always sought out the Light and thus his cabin would manifest within it. The Light was peace and serenity, but it was also numbness and abnegation. 

Whereas the Dark was fed by emotions and self-servitude. It could be dangerous when left unchecked, but Light needed Dark to balance it out. Magnus inhaled, calming himself again. “Master,” he said as the room cleared again enough for Magnus to see but not enough as to blind him, “look at me. Do I look like the boy you left back in Tatooine?”

Arching a skeptical eyebrow, Ragnor stared at Magnus. As he did, though, his expression changed into bemusement. He brought a hand to Magnus’ face, touching his cheek and then his goatee. “This is new,” Ragnor whispered quietly. He moved the hand to Magnus’ jaw, shaking his head. Finally, he brought it to over Magnus’ eye, just barely touching the beauty spot over his eyebrow. “This isn’t.”

Magnus snorted. “No. But do you see? You’ve been stuck here for much longer than you thought. Let’s go back, Master.”

Ragnor nodded, though he still seemed too stunned to move. Magnus gave him the time to collect and steady himself. With Light and Dark in harmony, there was no hush. Especially now that Magnus remembered the other man that he loved. The man he was going to come back to. 

Alexander. Who was probably freaking out in the Hunter’s Moon, bless his heart.

“Come on,” Magnus said gently and patted his Master on the shoulder. “Let’s go back home.”

\---

Almost two weeks had passed since Magnus disappeared. Alec had tried everything he could think of. He’d called Jace but it had been a dead end because Jace couldn’t reproduce whatever Magnus had done. Alec and D0T, now with a new arm, had gone over the Jedi Texts a hundred times to no avail at all. Maia had put out a word out for any Force-sensitive to come to the Hunters’ Moon. Raj had contacted Catarina but she couldn’t help either.

Eleven days. Alec had barely been able to sleep or eat. He mostly spent it at the bar of the Hunter’s Moon, staring at the table that Magnus had been sitting at before he disappeared. Something told him that, if Magnus were to come back, it would be there. Alec had even convinced Maia to not let any patrons sit at the table. It had involved a lot of pleading and some scaring off the customers on his own.

But often, either Maia or Raj would drag him back to his room to get some rest. Raj had promised to guard the table for him when that happened and Maia gave him food and reassurance. But neither of them realized how hard it was for Alec to sleep in that empty bed. Sooner or later, though, exhaustion would take over and Alec would black out.

Usually, Raj and Maia let him sleep for as long as his body forced him to. But, on the twelfth morning, Alec was shaken up out of sleep by Raj. “Alec, wake up!” he urged. “He’s back! Your Jedi is back!”

Electricity ran through Alec’s body and he was up in a jump. “Where is he?” 

“By the bar,” Raj said. “He just walked out of nowhere, along with som-”

But Alec didn’t stay to listen to the rest of Raj’s explanation. He dashed out of the room and ran to the bar. The way was so familiar now, Alec didn’t have to think where he was going. 

And it was a good thing because when Alec saw Magnus just casually talking to Maia, the only thing in his mind was that he needed to make sure it was real. “Magnus!” Alec called, heart thumping in his chest.

Magnus turned to him and smiled fondly. “Alexander.”

Wasting no time, Alec ran to Magnus and pulled him into a crushing hug. He felt Magnus chuckle in his arms and hug him back. For just that second, the world stopped spinning. It all fell into place again and Alec couldn’t be happier.

“I thought I lost you,” he whispered against Magnus’ hair.

Magnus shook his head and kissed Alec’s cheek. “Never. There was no way I would leave you.” He smiled at Alec and wiped out an insistent tear from Alec’s eye. “It was just a scare. I apologized, I should’ve warned you before connecting with the Force.”

Alec shook his head. He didn’t care about getting an apology. He only cared that Magnus was fine. He scoffed. “It was a scare during the first two days.” 

“Yeah,” Maia said as she sat on the counter. “The other nine was more like Alec obsessively staring at one of the tables. Like he could glare you into coming back.”

Frowning, Magnus looked from Maia to Alec. “Days?” He blinked and then sighed. “Oh, of course. Time works differently in there. Minutes are days, months are years.” Magnus shook his head and then looked over his shoulder. “Which explains why he thinks those robes are still cool.”

A man stood up watching them behind Magnus. Alec recognized him from the hologram Catarina had shown them. Ragnor Fell looked at them with smart eyes, a sly smile playing on his lips. For a second, he didn’t seem to have heard what Magnus said, too busy analyzing their interaction. But then Ragnor turned to Magnus and shook his head. “There is nothing wrong with a classic look. Too bad one cannot say the same of that horrifying shirt you have on.”

“Rude.” Magnus shook his head and turned back to Alec. His gaze drifted to something else, behind him. Alec followed Magnus’ eyes and found Raj standing awkwardly by the corridor. “I see things changed in the time I was gone,” Magnus said, arching an eyebrow.

“Yeah, hm...” Alec shrugged. He threw a poignant look at Maia, who was about to open her big mouth. “Raj and I talked. We settled our differences.”

“Talk?” Raj asked with a scoff.

Thankfully, D0T chose that moment to arrive and yell Magnus’ name, drawing all the attention to herself. Maia took the opportunity to announce it was time for a meal and they all accommodate at a large table. 

Alec just couldn’t look away from Magnus. He let the others fill him in, with D0T making an efficient summary of the last days. Raj complemented it with news from the rest of the Galaxy. 

Then, it was Magnus’ turn to talk. He told Ragnor about the war and how the Resistance had won it. Alec nodded in the parts where Magnus mentioned him, and he realized that Magnus kept the insults to the Circle to a minimum. It was for the best, as Raj still froze whenever the organization or Valentine was mentioned. 

Finally, all the food was eaten and all the stories were told. Maia had joined them at some point but now she and Raj were gone. It was just Ragnor, Magnus, and Alec and a comfortable silence fell upon them. The only sound came from D0T, as she rendered all the information she had listened to. Magnus enjoyed a cup of tea while Ragnor carefully put together a summary of the ten years that he had missed in some kind of a diary.

“So,” Ragnor said once he was done writing, “you won the war and is now rebuilding the Jedi Order. Anything else you want to take credit for, my friend?”

Magnus snorted. “Who knows? I might discover a new planet yet. I’m still young.”

Ragnor had a retort to that, which only made Magnus scoff. Alec couldn’t help but be drawn by their relationship. It was something compelling about it that made it impossible to look away. At the same time, it was a private thing. A never-ending exchange of insults and provocations, each done with more fondness than the last. It had been rare to see Magnus this happy, this light.

That in itself made Alec smile too. The mission was complete and Ragnor was safe. It hadn’t been easy, but they’ve done it. All that was left was going back home and reunite with those waiting for them. Letting his mind wander free as Master and Padawan began talking about the Jedi Order, Alec started to make a list of things he ought to do once they were back to the base.

He was half-done making plans to talk to Luke about the former stormtroopers situation when Magnus pulled him out of his mind. “-right, Alexander?”

“Sorry. What?”

Magnus smiled, his eyes shining like they did when he was excited. “Isn’t Madzie the most promising youngling? She has so much raw power. The others are incredible too, but she is outstanding.” His smile grew to a grin when Alec nodded along. “You’ll love them all. Not Jace, though. But alas, what is the Jedi Council without some friction, hm?”

Ragnor nodded to that, chuckling to himself. “And how are you finding these young Force-users?”

“Mostly luck, I have to admit.” Magnus sighed and took a sip of his tea. “We’ve been locating survivors of the Circle’s destruction and bringing the children that were stolen from their communities to them. Every so often, we’ll find someone or someone will find us.”

Considering for a moment, Ragnor searched through his notes. He had brought dozens of them, alongside his lightsaber and a change of clothes. It seemed the Force dimension they entered didn’t produce anything physical to be carried out. Those were all things Ragnor had brought with him. “Not a very efficient system, is it?”

“I’m open to suggestions,” Magnus said. “But unless you have some sort of Force-radar, I don’t think we have many other options.”

Ragnor shook his head. “We don’t want to be like the ancient Sith, Magnus. They used to have a technique that allowed a very powerful Force user to sense others within the Force connection. Thankfully, the instructions were long lost in their own planet, hidden in the Dark side.”

Magnus frowned and Alec could see in the way he leaned forward that his curiosity had been piqued. “A Sith planet? You mean Edom? Nobody knows how to find it. The last ones who did, died centuries ago.”

“One learns much and more in a few months. Or ten years, give or take.” Ragnor patted one of his notebooks. It had a black cover and ribbons of leather tying it shut. Alec was sure he didn’t imagine the greed sparkle in Magnus’ cat-eyes as he watched the notebook. 

But Ragnor shook his head and pulled the notebook into his bag. “But we don’t want to do anything like a Sith would. We will figure out a better way.” Ragnor smiled and gathered the rest of his things. “Right now, though, I am immensely tired. Can we schedule our return to your base for tomorrow, Alec?”

Alec startled at being addressed but nodded. “Yes. We could all use some rest today. We’ll see you at dinner?”

“I wouldn’t miss it.” Ragnor winked at him, sounding too amused. “Excuse me.”

Ragnor disappeared into the corridor, playing with the key Maia had given him. For a moment, his absence left a clear empty space at the table, as if Ragnor had taken the stability of the last hour with him. Alec couldn’t point out quite why he felt like that. 

But then he looked at Magnus and how intensely Magnus was staring at where that black notebook had been sitting on the table. It was then that Alec knew. Their mission to find and bring back Ragnor was a success. 

But, now, they had another one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another and way more difficult mission, I might add.
> 
> I can be found on [Tumblr](https://ketzwrites.tumblr.com/) and on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/Ketz_CML/). 
> 
> Kudos, comments, and tweets are more than welcome!
> 
> Ketz


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeey, guys :D
> 
> I know, I know. I'm taking too long to post this story. The good news is that I'm done with all the things that were taking up my spare time so I should be able to write the chapters faster now.
> 
> Bad news is that this story is about to turn much, much _darker_. 
> 
> Yay!

“Alexander,” Magnus whispered, eyes facing the darkness of the room, “are you awake?”

“Hm,” Alec grunted. He didn’t move, though he did snug closer to Magnus. Half of Alec’s body was laying on top of him, as if Alec needed to physically touch him as much as possible to make up for the weeks they had stayed apart.

Weeks. Magnus still found that hard to comprehend. Though, he figured, Ragnor was the one with a real problem in his hands. His Master didn’t seem particularly bothered by missing out ten years, but Magnus knew it was just a facade. Ragnor would have to deal with that sooner or later. 

And he would have to do it alone. Magnus inhaled sharply, feeling surer than ever. Going to the Force dimension made all his doubts vanish. It wasn’t just enough to have found Ragnor; he and Magnus had a duty to fulfil with the Jedi Order, with the Force itself. The universe needed guardians of the Force, people trained to respect and protect it. 

People that could bring balance to the Force. As is, there was no balance. Just like in Ragnor’s cabbage in the Force dimension, there was only Light. Bright and peaceful as it was, it was also incomplete. It had blinded Ragnor for a decade. The Jedi existed but the Sith were long gone. There could never be balance that way. The Force was made of Light and Dark joined together in perfect harmony. The Jedi could only benefit from learning the ancient Sith teachings, even if it was in order to avoid following them.

Although, a way to find new Force-users could not be that bad, could it?

“I want to find it,” Magnus said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “Edom.” 

For a while, Alec said nothing. Magnus wondered if his boyfriend had fallen back to sleep, but then Alec moved his head to face him. “The Sith planet?”

Magnus nodded. “I want to find the instructions for locating other Force-users.”

The look of utter drowsiness in Alec’s face was out of touch with the importance of that conversation, but Magnus didn’t care. He knew Alec was paying attention, especially when he frowned, considering Magnus’ words. “Didn’t your Master say it was a Sith technique? Aren’t them the evil version of the Jedi?”

Rolling his eyes, Magnus pushed aside the hair falling on Alec’s face. “Is that what they taught you at Stormtrooper School? The Sith were the evil Jedi? Not a very complex lesson, is it?” He chuckled when Alec raised unimpressed eyebrows at him. “I thought the Circle taught you that the Jedi were the evil and untrustworthy ones.”

“I guess the Sith were more evil,” Alec said nonchalantly. “But they are all gone, so we didn’t have to worry about them. The Jedi are the real menace, though. They won’t let anyone sleep.”

Magnus chuckled lightly. “I want your opinion on something important, Alexander.”

“Important and urgent. It clearly can’t wait until the sun rises. Neither of them.” Alec kept his face completely straight as he said that, which only made Magnus chuckle harder. 

That was one reason why Magnus loved him so much. No matter how uncertain he was, how heavy the weight of decisions pressured Magnus’ shoulders, Alec’s no-nonsense attitude always grounded him. There they were, talking about possibly tipping the current balance of the universe and Alec was more concerned with their lack of sleep.

“Do you think we should?” Magnus asked. “Go after Sith knowledge?”

Maybe that was too much to ask to Alec. He was not trained in the mysteries of the Force. He had no idea what was the Light side or the Dark side. Alec didn’t know the history of the Jedi and the Sith, of centuries of war and antagonism. All Alec knew, he had been taught by liars or had read on his own. No Master to illuminate his path, no reason to be interested in the Force at all. 

But Magnus trusted Alec’s judgment more than any Master Jedi’s. Alec didn’t need all the information to know what was right and what was wrong. In matters like this, his instinct was the best tool Alec had. 

“How many Jedi existed when the Order was alive?” Alec asked, voice flat. 

“More than three Jedi and a handful of kids in training.” Magnus sighed. “Hundreds. The Order was shrinking, but there were so many before. Valentine was able to decimate so many people… It is painful to remember.”

Alec pondered over that. “Can adults be trained in the Force?”

“I trained Jace and he was a teenager. It is not ideal, but it can be done.” Magnus blinked. “Where are you going with this?”

“I know the Sith are bad news,” Alec explained, “but I wanted to know what you stood to gain if you could find more Force-sensitive people. Sith knowledge is still a part of the Force, right?”

Magnus nodded. “The wrong part, though. Or so Ragnor would say.”

Because that is what the Jedi believe. The Sith were to be avoided; at most, confronted. But there was nothing to learn from them, nothing worth paying attention. They had been defeated ages ago and, yet, the Jedi had decided not to incorporate any Sith lessons. Magnus could understand that primal thought behind it. Keeping the Sith ways far from the younglings would avoid temptation. 

But the Dark side wasn’t all bad. Someone like Alec, who hadn’t been taught to worship the Light, would know that. “I said you needed the Dark side when you were in the Force dimension,” Alec said, moving to lay beside Magnus. “To be able to see things clearly.”

“Yes. But this would be a step beyond that. The Dark side is known for luring its users into corruption.” Magnus sighed, searching for Alec’s hand under the blanket. He found it easily and laced their fingers together. “I wouldn’t have to just read a textbook. If what Ragnor said is true, this would require touching the Darkness that resides within me. Expose it.”

And that was the problem. Magnus had never been the prime example of a Jedi. He was never able to comply to all the rules, to observe all the restrictions. A real Jedi wouldn’t be in bed with someone else. A real Jedi wouldn’t love another person. If things had followed their normal course, Magnus would never even make to Master Jedi. He’d be lucky to be considered a Jedi Knight at all, no matter how powerful he was. 

Ragnor used to call him a beacon of Light. It always struck Magnus as odd. He was no more virtuous than the other Padawans, no more especial in the training. In fact, Magnus would cause twice as many troubles as the second most problematic apprentice. He doubted any other Master would’ve taken him if it wasn’t for Ragnor. Magnus still remembered how the other Masters would look at him with distrustful eyes, just expecting him to fail.

He never did, but that was in large thanks to Ragnor. His Master never gave up on him, not even when Magnus gave him every reason to. And now he was at it again, meddling with affairs that he should ignore. Magnus was sure other Jedi, better Jedi, would never consider finding Edom or searching for Sith knowledge. Wasn’t it bad enough that he wanted to do it? Magnus’ personal wishes shouldn’t matter, only the larger, more important cause.

Yet, Magnus dressed his curiosity on a noble call. Yes, the technique would help locate more potential Jedi, but there was something else in what Ragnor said. Only a very powerful Force-user could do it. Magnus knew he was able to wield great power. But was he able to resist it too? Could he do it for others? And, if he could, did that mean he was a proper Jedi once and for all? Once worth teaching others how to behave?

So many questions and all because of an afterthought. Ragnor probably just mentioned the technique as a wistful comment. He certainly wouldn't be debating himself whether to search for it or not. Not Ragnor, who was a true Master.

“It doesn’t matter,” Alec said flatly, startling Magnus. “If there is any darkness in you. I don’t see it. If there is any, I don’t care either. It was there when you resisted the Shadowhunter, when you saved the Galaxy from his reign of terror.” Alec shrugged nonchalantly. “It was there even before, when you saw good enough in me to steal me away from the Circle. If there is any darkness in you, it’s the good kind.”

Magnus exhaled deeply, letting all the air in his lungs flow away. “The good kind of Darkness?”

Alec nodded and there wasn’t a trace of doubt in his face. “Yes.”

“You’re ridiculous, Alexander Lightwood,” Magnus said, but smiled nonetheless. Especially when Alec answered that with a kiss. “And I love you for it.”

“I love you too.” Alec smirked. All the drowsiness was gone from his face and Alec’s eyes were tickling with excitement. It never ceased to amaze Magnus how he could go from solemn to joyful in a moment. But it was a good thing, since then Magnus knew it was genuine. Alec didn’t mask his emotions nor his thoughts. Magnus knew for sure he was on board when Alec asked, “So, are we doing this or not?”

Magnus nodded. “We are. But we need Ragnor’s notes and he won’t just give them to me. Knowing that old goat, he probably expects me to try and steal them. No other reason to dangle them right in front of my eyes. He’ll be prepared for me. Ragnor’s probably monitoring my emotions through the Force right this second.”

“Hm,” Alec said quietly, a smile playing on his lips, “good thing I’m no Force-user then.”

\---

Their plan was simple. Magnus was to distract Ragnor by taking him away for a stroll in the market while Alec entered his room and stole the notebook. Maia hadn’t been particularly thrilled with the idea of providing them the key to Ragnor’s room as she had a strict policy of safeguarding her clients’ privacy. 

Magnus was able to put her mind at ease by reminding Maia that he was the one paying for Ragnor’s room, so, technically, he was her client. Alec was pretty sure Maia only bought that as a courtesy.

Regardless, Alec had the key. Magnus and Ragnor had been preparing for their shopping spree for the entire morning that they agreed was essential to Ragnor’s survival in that new decade. Which would be disturbing in itself, but then Ragnor kept insisting that Alec came with. To know him better, he had explained in a very menacing tone. Alec knew he wasn’t imagining it since Raj kept throwing him sympathetic glances whenever Ragnor would bring the subject back.

It seemed Admiral Loss had been way more gentle than Magnus’ Master as far as protectiveness went. Alec didn’t know if that was a Jedi thing or because Ragnor still saw Magnus as ten years younger than he really was. It didn’t matter, though, because whatever the reason, having a Master Jedi being way-too-courteous while simultaneously side-eyeing you was not a pleasant experience.

D0T seemed to be having fun, that damn droid. When Magnus was finally able to drag Ragnor out of the Hunter’s Moon, D0T almost sighed in sadness. Alec rolled his eyes at her, but moved to the window to make sure the Jedi were really gone. He waited until they had disappeared among the crowd, showing no signs that they were coming back.

“Alright,” Alec said and turned to D0T and Raj, “we’re doing this as quickly as possible. Raj, you guard the corridor. If by any chances Ragnor comes back, you let me know. Standard warning.” At least their shared training as Stormtroopers made things like that easy. Alec turned to the droid. “You’re coming with. Magnus needs you to record everything in that black-leather notebook.”

After discussing the plan, Magnus and Alec had reached the conclusion it was best not to simply take the notes. Instead, they would have D0T make copies of the content and leave the notebook where Alec found it. Once it was time to go, Raj would take Ragnor home and Alec, Magnus, and D0T would continue on their journey. The plan was simple, though time was of the essence. 

They made their way to the dormitories easily but things started to complicate when the key Maia gave Alec didn’t work. It was weird; Alec felt it fitting perfectly in the keyhole but it wouldn’t turn and unlock the door. It was the right key, though, so it made no sense.

“Come on, man,” Raj said, looking over his shoulder. That didn’t really help.

Alec clenched his teeth and tried again to no avail. It was like the lock was stuck in place, frozen in time. He frowned, forcing it one last time. When that did nothing, Alec took a step back. Maia would forgive him, but he told Magnus he’d get into that room, so that was what Alec was going to do. 

He took out his pistol and fired twice on the lock. It exploded, opening up the door. Alec heard the first couple of notes of D0T’s protest but shushed her with a finger to his own mouth. Raj nodded when Alec threw him a glance. That was it.

Inside, the room barely looked used. If it wasn’t for the bag on top of the table, Alec would’ve thought they were in the wrong place. The bed was perfectly made, not a wrinkle in the sheets. The window was just open enough for a breeze to come through, the curtains tucked in perfectly. The bedroom was in an even better state than Maia kept it. 

“It should be here,” Alec said and went straight to the bag on the table. The bag had all the notebooks Ragnor had used the day before, plus a few changes of clothes, and a kyber crystal. Alec ignored them when he found the notebook with the black cover. It wasn’t very big, just enough to fit well in his hands.

For some reason, Alec hesitated to open it. There was just a leather string binding it close, not even a particularly tied up one. But the way Magnus had talked about the content, how it could corrupt someone if they were not careful. That was a lot of power for simple words on a page, even if they were just directions to a planet. 

Although, the last time Magnus and he went looking for directions, Magnus ended up in a place that Alec couldn’t follow.

“Just open it,” a deep voice said and Alec startled. 

Besides him, D0T yelped in surprise which was slightly reassuring. She’d heard it too. “Come on, now. You need to make sure that is the right one,” the voice sounded again. This time, though, Alec could trace its source.

Ragnor. His voice was coming from the bed. Alec turned around and found the Master Jedi just sitting there, as if he had been in the room all along. Suddenly, everything else changed too. The bed was not made; in fact the sheets were on the ground. There were clothes on the floor and the rest of Ragnor’s supper on the table besides the bag. 

“Get out of my brain,” Alec hissed, cold anger rising up his veins. 

That made the ends of Ragnor’s lips curl up. “So there is some bite to you. Good. Magnus will need that if he is to continue on this adventure.” Ragnor sighed, cocking his head to the side. “I am surprised he had you come in here, though. I guess it shows my young Padawan has learned to trust others and be a team player. That speaks to how much I’ve missed.”

Alec looked at the door, gesturing for Raj to stay put. He had been motioning to get inside, maybe looking for a way to help. But that wasn’t necessary and would amount to nothing. Numbers meant little when facing a Force-user. Especially one as skillful as Ragnor Fell.

“You kept the lock still with the Force,” Alec said quietly. He frowned. “Who’s with Magnus right now? I saw you leave.”

“A projection,” Ragnor said with sincerity. “Not easy to maintain, but I can manage from this small distance. He’s not alone, even if I’m not quite there.” Ragnor smiled. “I wasn’t expecting you to shoot your way in, though. You didn’t strike me as a brute-strength kind of guy.”

Shrugging that off, Alec gave the notebook to D0T. “How did you know I was coming?”

“As I said, I thought it would be Magnus himself. I did have that cursed book in front of him for long enough to peak his interest.” Ragnor stood up, going to the window. He could see the market from there. “But going on this mission… It had to be something Magnus decided to do for himself. It will take everything he has not to fall to the Dark side.”

Alec narrowed his eyes at Ragnor. “And you want him to do it anyway.”

“It is not my decision. It is as simple as that.” Ragnor clasped his hands behind him, staring straight at Alec. “The Force will guide him through it, though. Magnus is the most powerful Jedi I’ve ever seen. If someone can do it, that is him. He is-”

Cold anger turned boiling rage inside of Alec’s veins. “Magnus is more than just a Jedi. He is a real person, not some tool for the Force to wield its will through. I’m done with your mind games and your charades. I’m done with you telling Magnus what he should be. And I’m done with Jedi thinking themselves better than everyone else.” 

Alec turned to D0T, but the droid seemed to know it was time to leave. She was out of the door before Alec had to say anything. 

Ragnor watched him go without a word, which was probably for the best. Alec didn’t know what else he would say to him. Leaving that room was the hardest thing Alec had done in the entire mission. He felt like he hadn’t done enough, though that was a constant feeling ever since they left the Resistance base weeks ago.

Still, for the first time Alec felt like he did something right. Standing up for Magnus felt like a real accomplishment. 

Too bad Magnus wouldn’t be so thrilled when he heard about what happened.

\---

Magnus blinked as he played with his still-damaged lightsaber. So the plan was a half-success. That still counted as a success, considering they had the notebook and the notebook had easy-to-read instructions to get to Edom. It didn’t matter that Magnus had spent the morning shopping with a glorified hologram or that Alec had blasted a door open, making Maia very angry.

It didn’t even matter that Alec and Ragnor had a small misunderstanding. Magnus could deal with Alec not particularly liking Ragnor; he himself had trouble digesting his Master most of the time.

What mattered was that they did it. Yes, best to focus on the positive for a change.

And definitely not focus on Ragnor’s smug smile as he entered Raj’s pod to go back to the Resistance Base. Otherwise, Magnus would feel compelled to Force-project himself in that pod to slap his Master.

Alec huffed, hands grasping the controls so tight his knuckles were white. Magnus stared at him quietly, wondering what would be the best route to take. For all that Alec’s stubbornness was wonderful and had been what got him through all the perils in the past, the man had a thing for brooding. Magnus had no illusions; if let unperturbed, Alec would be huffing and scoffing all the way to Edom.

That would not do. D0T was of wonderful company but Magnus wanted to be able to talk to his boyfriend too. A joke might to the trick, then. “You know,” Magnus said cheerfully, “if I do fall to the Dark side at least my fashion-sense will improve. Never met a Sith, but if the illustrations can be believed, they had amazing taste.”

Nothing happened for a second and then Alec turned to him. He stared at Magnus for a couple of tense moments. “You’re not falling to the Dark side.”

“Because my taste is already great so I don’t need to?” Magnus raised an eyebrow.

“Because you’re not,” Alec said simply and returned his attention to piloting.

Magnus cocked his head to the side. “Ragnor thinks I might. That is why he wanted me to put some effort into going, isn’t it? So, when I’m tested, I remember what got me there in the first place. What I’m truly fighting for.”

Alec didn’t seem to have an answer to that. Though Magnus didn’t blame him; there was no answer to give. Nobody knew for certain what made some Jedi fall but not others. Magnus remembered all the stories, all the legends. Some Jedi had endured terrible things and never fallen while others had only found solace in the Dark. There had been those who embraced the fall like an old friend and those who were tempted by it for years but never caved.

For all his flaws, Magnus liked to consider himself a proper Jedi. Tempted, yes, but never close to falling to the Dark side. He fought for the Force, for the people who couldn’t protect themselves. That ought to keep Magnus in the right track.

“You’ve never met a Sith?” Alec asked out of the blue.

He didn’t sound angry anymore, so Magnus took it as a good sign. “No. The last Sith was defeated way before I was born. All I heard were stories.” Alec frowned at that and Magnus could see the question in his eyes. “There has been people who used the Dark side since then. The Shadowhunter was one, so was Valentine even if he wasn’t particularly powerful. But they weren’t Sith. Just a poor imitation.”

Alec frowned. “They still caused a lot of trouble.”

“Yes. That they did.” Magnus closed his eyes, trying to find the words to explain. “But it isn’t the amount of damage that makes a Sith. Some were quite peaceful if left by themselves. It’s… the organization. The Sith were like the Jedi, a group that lived by certain rules. There was a code and everything. They thrived in chaos, but everyone needs beliefs. It was an institution, one that didn’t start or end with a single person to be slayed. It was a religion, much like the Jedi.”

That made them far more dangerous than a lunatic and his son. The Circle had been a menace to the the universe, but its effects would only affect a generation now that it was defeated. The Sith had lived on for centuries, recruiting new followers, fueling the ambitions of men like Valentine. They were the agents of destruction, a collection of ideals. 

And one cannot kill an ideal.

“How do you know there aren’t any Siths anymore?” Alec asked. “Some could have escaped whatever destroyed the order, like you and Ragnor did.”

Magnus smiled fondly. He had asked that exact question when a Padawan. “And stay away from the course of history? No. If there was any Sith around, we’d know. They wouldn’t stay quiet for so long, let alone let the Circle exist without attempting to take control of it. Greed is part of the Dark side of the Force.”

But Alec wasn’t convinced. “I don’t understand why everything has to be so black or white with the Force. If you give in to your emotions, you become a Sith. If you dedicate yourself to the Jedi Order, you waste away your life like Ragnor did. How is that balance?”

How indeed. Magnus wanted nothing more than to take Alec’s hand in his. It was all very confusing, too extremist to seem true. But that was Magnus’ world and one he had to learn to accept. These questions were bigger than him and Alec. He had to focus on what he could do. 

“We’re here,” D0T said, her voice quiet from the back of the cabin. Magnus turned his attention to her for a second before looking at the red and black planet coming to form in front of them as Alec exited the light-speed mode. It wasn’t as big of a planet as Magnus was expecting, but there was something off about it. It felt hot, as if it could radiate its own energy like a star.

Alec turned to Magnus. “Any particular landing options?”

The only reference in Ragnor’s notes were an ancient Sith temple. If nothing else, it could offer them shelter for the night. 

Magnus examined the planet. It seemed like parts of it were made of magma. It moved like trails of tears on the surface. There were no volcanoes, though, so it was probably just the planet’s composition. Liquid fire. Inviting. “Let’s avoid those, shall we? We’re looking for a giant constructed area.”

Turning Hawk Blue around, Alec circulated the planet until they found the structure Ragnor had sketched on his notes. His Master was no artist, but Magnus could see the resemblance. And, of course, the monstrous symbol of the Sith was a great give-away. 

There should be a comment to be made there but Magnus remembered how much the Jedi loved their symbol. Just because he hadn’t used it in years didn’t mean the Order would’ve been shy with it.

“Buckle up,” Alec said, pulling their ship closer to the planet. “I don’t like how these gases around the planet look. The landing might not be very smooth.”

“Never is with you, my darling.” Magnus smiled cheekily. 

But Alec didn’t react to it. His focus was all on the landing process. Alec had been right; it would be bumpy. The closer they got to the surface of the planet, the thicker the gases around them got. Magnus tried to push them away but they almost stubbornly refused to move. The same energy that seemed to irradiate from the ground poured through the gas. And it was hostile.

Hawk Blue was shaking violently as it went down. Magnus could see how much strength it took from Alec to stay the course. He had his teeth gritted and an intense look in his eyes. The rune in his neck seemed to almost be brighter than before, as if it was helping him avoid the pressure of the environment around them. 

“Alexander,” Magnus whispered and it was enough to catch Alec’s attention. The pilot didn’t turn to face him, but he was listening. “You can do this.”

A short nod and Alec tapped on the controls. Hawk Blue accelerated and D0T let a scared gasp escape. Magnus had to admit he was feeling apprehensive himself, but he trusted Alec to know what to do best. 

They moved further, but not enough to see the surface. Alec grunted and pulled the ship to spin. It was only then that Magnus realized the gas had been trying to stir them upside down. It was like a sentient being, though one that was too big to move. It could only create hindrances, makes things more difficult for them.

Like a test. Was that it? Was it testing their desire to enter the planet? Not quite stopping them but surely making it way harder than it should be. They had to force their way in, claim the right to land against a foe much bigger than they were.

Well, if that was it, Magnus had nothing to fear. No stupid Sith test would withstand Alec’s iron will. He didn’t need the Force for that.

“Okay,” Alec said quietly, mostly to himself. He inhaled deeply a couple of times and then looked at Magnus and D0T. “Brace yourselves. We’re going into lightspeed and then you’re using the Force to stop the ship before we hit the ground.”

Magnus’ eyes widened. “Alexan-”

There was no time to protest, though. Alec pressed the commands and everything around them turned white. Magnus felt the pressure slamming him against his seat, stealing his voice away. The time didn’t seem to pass, there was no sound around him.

But they were finally moving forward. 

“-der!” Magnus heard himself say as they exited lightspeed. The gas was gone. Right in front of them, the ground expanded in all directions Magnus could see. And it was approaching fast. 

“Pull us up!” Alec yelled, hands gripping the controls to force Hawk Blue into the sky.

Magnus was going to kill his boyfriend. 

He closed his eyes, concentrating despite the sound of his heart pounding against his chest. It took everything that Magnus had to focus on the ship, to pull it into the opposite direction. Gravity was so much stronger, so vast and finite. But Magnus fought against it, untied its strings around them. It would claim them, but not this time. The ship would be free, directed only by its motors and Alec’s commands.

They fell and fell and fell, like the single drop of sweat that ran down Magnus’ face. But then, suddenly, that drop of sweat went upwards.

Hawk Blue slammed against hard ground and it didn’t stop until it crashed against one of the pillars of the Sith Temple. Miraculously, though, when Magnus opened his eyes, they were all alive. D0T was quiet in her seat, but she was moving. Magnus himself was unhurt, though terribly tired.

And Alec was grinning. “I did it,” he said with pride in his voice.

“You did it?” Magnus frowned.

“Yeah.” Alec turned to him, the smile still on his lips. It turned to a smirk. “Well, maybe I got a little help.”

Huffing, Magnus shook his head. But he didn’t fight against the smile on his lips. They were alive and on the surface of a planet considered lost for decades. Magnus let himself breathe for a couple of seconds, enjoying that feeling. But then he pushed it aside. He’d have to be careful on that planet. Everything there seemed to be trying to make Magnus give in to his emotions.

He looked around. There was no way to assess the damage on the ship, but it seemed the structure was still intact. That meant it could be fixed.

“Who’s that?” D0T asked. She was pointing to something outside of the ship. Magnus followed her gaze and spot it. A single figure, hidden in a dark cloak. 

A figure that shouldn’t be there. There were no more Siths.

“Let’s find out,” Magnus said and unlocked his seatbelt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to my amazing beta [Lecrit](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lecrit/pseuds/Lecrit) because even if she doesn't understand Star Wars, she's the only one I trust with this story.
> 
> I can be found on [Tumblr](https://ketzwrites.tumblr.com/) and on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/Ketz_CML/). 
> 
> Kudos, comments, and tweets are more than welcome!
> 
> Ketz


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the fun begin <3

Having a functional lightsaber would’ve been nice. Magnus stared down at the broken handle, wondering if just dangling that thing around would be enough to intimidate the figure waiting for them. Probably not, but it was worth a try. 

Magnus hung the handler on his belt and looked at Alec. He had his pistol ready and another one just waiting to shoot. D0T had assembled their things into just one bag and was carrying it. They were ready.

Swallowing hard, Magnus nodded to Alec and he opened up Hawk Blue’s main door. At least the ship was still working. They had to climb down, though, as they had landed in a weird angle. Alec went first and then helped D0T down. Magnus followed, eyes on the shadow waiting for them.

It didn’t move, not even when they started to approach it. Closing the distance made the figure more distinguishable. It had a cane and its human-like features were covered by a long cloak. He was probably about Magnus’ height, though slender like Alec. His face was hidden in shadows, impossible to discern.

Until he opened his eyes. Magnus gasped, stopping dead. Amber cat-eyes were staring back at him. So similar to his own it was like looking at a mirror.

“Magnus,” Alec whispered, a question hidden in his words. So he saw it too. If that was a trick, it wasn’t targeted only at Magnus.

“I know.” Magnus inhaled sharply. “Watch out, darling. The planet is testing us again.”

Alec sighed. “I’m very tired of tests.”

That made Magnus snort, though there was a concerning tone to Alec’s voice. Not a surprise, considering how their missions had gone so far. But they would have to have that conversation at another moment. Magnus had to make sure whatever waited for them could be defeated first.

He commanded Alec and D0T to wait with a flourish. Alec hadn’t pointed his gun at the mysterious figure yet, but that was just a matter of seconds. Magnus had no doubts his boyfriend would be able to make the shot if the situation called for it. He just hoped it didn’t.

Taking a step forward, Magnus lifted his chin. “Hello,” he said flatly, hands showing to indicate he was playing no tricks. Magnus stared at those eyes, so similar to his own. “We mean you no harm.”

A sparkle of mischief glimmered in those eyes and the figured cocked his head to the side. “Do my eyes deceive me,” he said in a male, deep voice, “or is it Magnus Bane I see?”

Magnus frowned. What kind of game was that? “No. That’s me. Magnus Bane.”

“It’s been too long,” the figure said. He took a step forward, following a stream of lava. The red light reflected on his face and Magnus could distinguish some features. He had a familiar jawline and a crooked nose. There was a sad smile on his lips, though it didn’t reflect in his eyes. “Way too long. I wouldn’t have recognized you if it wasn’t for your eyes.”

“My eyes?” Magnus frowned. He could feel Alec’s gaze on him, waiting for an order to move. But the man wasn’t hostile. Magnus felt no dark emotions coming from him. When he stopped to notice them, all Magnus could feel was loss and sorrow. “I’m sorry. Have we met?”

The man stopped just a couple of feet from Magnus. He sighed, closing his eyes for a few moments before nodding. “A lifetime ago. You wouldn’t remember.” His eyes moved lazily, stopping at Alec and D0T. “Call your companions. You all must be tired. Come inside.” The man pointed at the temple behind him.

“I…” Magnus clenched his teeth, ignoring how confused he felt. “I need to know if we will be safe there.”

The man examined Magnus critically before smiling with the corners of his mouth. It was such a familiar gesture, Magnus wouldn’t have been able to look away even if he tried. “No harm will come to you and yours as long as you do not give it cause.”

Magnus nodded. “I suppose that is fair.” He looked behind and gestured for the others to approach.

D0T just strolled to him, but Alec was more careful. He took a look at their ship, as if calculating if it was better to run there instead. He probably came to the same conclusion as Magnus; a wrecked ship would do little for them if the figure decided to attack them.

“Hello,” Alec said quietly, his shoulders tense.

The figure examined him with mild interest. “A Nephilim. Your kind is believed to be extinct.”

Not exactly an endearing comment but Alec didn’t seem to take offense. He narrowed his eyes at the figure, though. “Our planet is gone,” Alec said in a smooth, calm voice. “But we’re a hard race to kill.”

It gave Magnus a special kind of pride to watch his non-Force sensitive boyfriend stood his ground against a shadowy figure in the lost forgotten Edom. If Alec was at all afraid, nothing on him betrayed his collected facade. One would think he could take on the whole planet by himself.

The man snorted, as if he shared Magnus’ pride. “That is something we have in common.” He looked back at Magnus and nodded in approvement. “A good choice of companionship.”

Frowning again, Magnus found himself at a loss for words. Was he supposed to thank the man for the compliment? Although, there wasn’t much time to do it since the figure just turned around and guided them inside the temple. 

The man walked slowly, leaning mostly on his cane. Magnus and Alec both waited until there was some distance between them in order to start following. They exchanged a look, but Magnus figured there wasn’t the place to talk. The distance wasn’t enough to give them privacy and, however spooky the figure was, he hadn’t been hostile. Offending him was not in their best interest and, judging by Alec’s expression, he wasn’t about to compliment the man on his choice of cloak. 

The temple was a hard place to be in. It had no ceiling, which Magnus assumed wasn’t a problem. He didn’t think there were much raining in Edom and, if it was, he suspected it would be lava. Not exactly something rock could keep away for long. The walls were covered with strange symbols that Magnus didn’t recognize, although they reminded him of the Jedi Symbols from the Ancient Texts. D0T got so fascinated, she stayed behind as the figure moved on to a bigger chamber.

There were so many books in that place, Magnus couldn’t help but smile. By his side, Alec had arched both his eyebrows and he seemed impressed. It wasn’t like in the Spiral Labyrinth, where the sheer amount of knowledge overwhelmed at first glance. Every book and scroll seemed like it had been read at some point. It had been held and handled, as they should be.

The figure stepped aside and let Magnus and Alec look around. He had an amused air to him, as if he was having fun watching their fascination. Magnus knew those books probably contained more than he wanted to know about the Dark Side, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Somewhere in there, the instructions for locating Force Sensitive people laid. If Magnus could find it, the Jedi Order would be restored. 

“Can we pick up the books?” Alec asked. He was standing over a pile to Magnus’ right side, pointing at the first volume. 

“Of course, Nephilim,” the man answered. “Knowledge is to be shared and absorbed.”

Magnus raised his chin at that. “Too much knowledge can raise the wrong questions and drive the sanest mind to insanity.”

The figure looked at him and amusement was gone for just a moment. He smiled again, hands clasped on his cane. “Spoken like a true Master Jedi. I should be proud.”

That didn’t make sense. “Why would you care?” Magnus asked, turning to face the figure.

For a moment he didn’t get an answer. The man just stood there, watching him with the same cat-eyes. But then, he brought his hands to his hood and removed it. The man had black hair, just shy from his shoulders. It was hard to pinpoint an age to him as his face was timeless. He was somehow handsome, though Magnus felt a chill run down his spine at seeing him.

“What father wouldn’t be proud to have you as a son?” the man said calmly, the amused smile back on his lips. “Over thirty years ago, I left behind a crying baby. Now, he returns as a grown man, a powerful Jedi. Why would I not care?”

Magnus felt like he had been shot. At first, the shock made him numb. He couldn’t quite understand what he had just heard, as if the words didn’t make sense to him even if they sounded familiar. Magnus felt like he was floating, not entirely present.

And then realization came crashing over him. “You’re… You can’t be. My father is dead. He died right after I was born.” Magnus gasped, feeling lightheaded. “When the Jedi came for me, there was only my mother and I.”

“A kind lie from a kind woman,” the man said. “Tell me, my son, have you ever heard of Asmodeus?”

Magnus wished he hadn’t. His mother had never named the man that got her pregnant; she has always called him “your father” instead. Magnus had known better than to ask for a name. Even as a young boy, he could see how sad his mother got whenever he inquired about that man. 

And, truth be told, Magnus never needed to know much about him. His mother was enough and then there was Ragnor. Catarina and Raphael completed all the family Magnus would ever want. Camille had been part of it too for a while. And now, Alec.

So, no. Magnus hadn’t heard about Asmodeus from his mother. But he had read about the name. About a Sith called “The Prince of Hell”. A Sith so powerful, he had cheated death. 

A Sith so powerful, he had remained while all the others were gone.

Asmodeus’ smile spread through his face like a punch in Magnus’ stomach. “Welcome home, son.”

\---

Alec had to admit he wasn’t entirely following what had just happened. Magnus had gone white when the weird shadow of a man called him Son and named himself Asmodeus. There was so much dread in Magnus’ eyes, Alec almost shot their host at the spot. But, for some reason, he didn’t. 

Instead, Alec waited, watching Magnus closely. There had never been any mentions of a father, not even when they talked about their childhoods. Magnus’ stories were all about his time with Raphael or his training as a Padawan. He rarely talked about his mother, only bringing her up to talk about how beautiful her smile was. Alec figured Magnus still felt guilty for leaving her behind on his journey to become a Jedi and never asked for details.

“This is not my home,” Magnus declared once the silence was getting unbearable. He sounded so raw and hurt that Alec wanted nothing more than to go to him. But he couldn’t. Not in front of this Asmodeus. Not if that would infer any weakness from Magnus. “And you are not my father. I am not the son of a Sith.”

Oh. Alec swallowed hard. Maybe shooting this guy was the right call. 

Asmodeus cleared his throat and looked at Alec, as if he could read his thoughts. Alec clenched his teeth but there were no signs that Asmodeus was about to attack. Instead, he just spoke. “Perhaps you might want to give us some space?”

Ignoring him, Alec looked at Magnus. He wasn’t going anywhere if Magnus didn’t want him to. 

But Magnus pushed his lips together, looking uncertain. His outburst seemed to be a gut reaction, something he had to get out of his system before starting to consider the possibilities. Now that it was done, Magnus seemed to be able to breathe normally again. He looked from Alec to Asmodeus and then back to Alec.

And then he nodded, cat-eyes shining with reassurance. Alec didn’t like it, but he bit back a protest. It could all still be a trick, just Edom messing with them. But if it was, the test was for Magnus to pass. And if it wasn’t… Then Alec had no place in the first talk between father and son.

Begrudgingly, Alec looked back at Asmodeus and nodded. “I’m going to check on our ship.”

“Wise,” Asmodeus said approvingly. “Although, you both have been traveling for a long time now. Do you have anyone you want to talk to, Nephilim?” He moved to the side, opened up a box half-hidden by books. Asmodeus fished out an old communication device full of new parts attached to it. “This should reach any part of the Galaxy you might want to connect to. Or anyone.”

Alec blinked, feeling his heart clench in his chest. How long had it been since he talked to Isabelle? They had exchanged a few words during the time Alec waited for Magnus to return, but he hadn’t been able to have a proper conversation with his sister in weeks. He missed her so much it hurt.

The Lightwood ring seemed to burn against Alec’s skin as he walked up to Asmodeus and accepted the communicator. Asmodeus smiled kindly. “You have some privacy in one of my personal chambers. This will show you the way.” He moved his hand and the box levitated, moving out of the room. 

After one last glance at Magnus to make sure he was supposed to go, Alec followed the box through a few corridors until they entered an empty room. He was glad to realize he knew his way back. After being lost for so long, that gave Alec some peace. 

It didn’t last long, though. Not when the doors closed behind him with a bang. Alec frowned, hands closing around the communicator with more strength than necessary. Nothing happened, aside from the box falling over a table. The room looked like a bedroom that hadn’t been visited for a while. No ceiling like the rest of the temple, an uncomfortable looking bed, two tables and another door, probably leading to a bathroom. Not too big or too small. 

Decent, really. Better than the Stormtroopers quarters for sure. Someone would still have to explain to Alec why Magnus hated the Sith more than he did the Circle. 

Shaking his head, Alec turned on the communicator. He sat down on the bed, waiting for it to find a signal. It didn’t take long, but Alec needed to try two times before being able to reach the Resistance Base. They really were very, very far away.

Finally, Isabelle’s face and torso were projected in front of Alec. She smiled and everything else seemed inconsequential next to it. “Hey, Big Bro! Looking… Like you need a shower and a good night of sleep.”

“And probably a change of clothes,” Alec said with a smile. “You look great, though.”

She really did. Isabelle had always been a gorgeous girl, but she looked radiant in the hologram. Giggling, Isabelle smirked. “Thank you. I’ve been trying a new hairdo.” She shrugged. “But enough about me. How are you? And how is Magnus?”

“Fine, I’m fine. We’re… fine.” Alec swallowed hard. “We found his Master. He should be arriving at the Base soon. I also helped a former Stormtrooper- We’ve been busy.”

“Indeed.” Isabelle chuckled. “That’s good to hear. When are you coming back home?”

Alec pushed his lips together, trying to keep the annoyance out of his face. “It will take a while. Magnus is… investigating something. He found a way to locate more Force-Sensitive people. He just needs to learn how to do it and we’ll be back home.” Or so Alec hoped. Who knew what would happen now that Magnus had found his father. If Asmodeus really was Magnus’ father to begin with. 

Isabelle frowned, tilting her head to the side and pursing her lips. “Something is wrong. What are you not telling me?”

“It’s just… I’m worried about Magnus. There’s this man here that says-”

“No,” Isabelle said and shook her head. “I’m not asking about Magnus. There is something wrong with you. Alec, you seem… tired. And not just from those dark circles under your eyes. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Such simple words. There was nothing special about them, nothing that Alec hadn’t heard before. Magnus would often ask him if he was doing okay. Alec had grown used to having people worry about him. It felt nice. It felt warm. 

But this time? Isabelle’s question made him feel too warm. Too loved. It made all the weight Alec had been carrying on his shoulders lay on him at once. He gasped, feeling the tears stung against his eyes. “I... I’m tired,” Alec heard himself talking. He didn’t mean too, but suddenly he couldn’t stop. “I’m so tired. Of the Jedi and their tests and riddles and- Of all of it. I can’t stand it anymore.”

“Oh, Alec…”

Alec gasped for air, swallowing the tears. He was angry, fists clenching beside his body. “You have no idea. A droid dismissed me because, apparently, if I can’t use the Force, I don’t matter. And she was right! All I could do while Magnus was done was wait.” Alec tasted something bitter at the back of his mouth and huffed. “Which was better than when I tried to do something, just to find out Magnus’ Master was manipulating me all along.”

Isabelle didn’t have anything to say to that and why would her? There was nothing that could be done. Alec had all of that anger bottling up inside of him and nothing to do with it. Nothing but to vent it out.

“I’m done with them.” Alec shook his head. “All of them. I can’t wait to be back home and never have to hear about Ancient Texts or how the Force needs balance or how Force Sensitive people are so special. I’d rather go back to the Circle than to hear any more of it. At least there I was taught I could do something. I felt like I belonged, I-”

Stopping himself, Alec realized what he was saying. Isabelle had gone silent, as if waiting for him to continue. He expected her to yell at him for even considering such things. If she had, Alec wouldn’t blame her. Nothing he’d said had made sense.

But Isabelle just blinked, looking sad. “What does Magnus have to say about that?”

Alec opened and closed his hand, trying to calm down. He still had scars there, from when he broke his hand beating up a stormtrooper through his helmet. The sight grounded him. “Nothing, he doesn’t know. I can’t tell those things to Magnus, Izzy. Not right now. Magnus is dealing with more than he can handle. I don’t want to be another burden to him.”

“It’s good that you can talk to me, then.” Isabelle offered him a kind smile. “Everything is going to work out, Big Brother.”

Sighing, Alec nodded. “I know. How are things at the Base?”

“Much of the same, but I’ve got to run now.” Isabelle winked at him. “General Luke is calling. Get some rest, okay? You really need it.”

Alec arched an unimpressed eyebrow but didn’t protest. “Alright. Tell the others-” He hesitated for a second, unsure of what to say. That he’d be back soon? Alec couldn’t know that. That he was doing okay? Isabelle already knew it. Shaking his head, Alec shrugged. “Tell them I said hi. And tell Madzie I miss her, please.”

“I will,” Isabelle smiled again and that was the last of their conversation. Alec stared at the communicator a little longer, watching the faint red glow of the attached parts. He wasn’t sure it was supposed to be like that. But what mattered was that it had worked. 

He felt much better after talking to Isabelle. Better and tired, but in a good way. Alec breathed in a couple of times, calming his heart. The weight on his shoulders was gone. He didn’t feel on edge anymore. He felt… right. 

Deciding to follow his sister’s advice, Alec laid down on the uncomfortable bed. It wasn’t as bad as he expected. As exhausted as he were, it actually felt kind of nice. 

Alec closed his eyes. Just a couple of minutes and then he’d go and check up on Magnus.

Just a couple of minutes.

\---

Magnus watched Alec disappear through the door with a heavy heart. Part of him wanted to called back after him, but Magnus knew it was just him being selfish. He wanted Alec’s support, but at what cost? If that man was really Asmodeus, then Magnus didn’t want Alec anywhere near him. It was too dangerous. 

No. Magnus would face the Sith alone, even if he knew Alec would gladly be by his side if given the choice. Because he knew that.

“So,” Asmodeus said, leaning on his cane, “it’s just you and me, my son.”

“Stop calling me that,” Magnus snapped. He needed to get his emotions in check. Inhaling, Magnus looked away. He focused on a particular book, memorizing its shape and color. It helped him calm down. “Even if you are telling the truth, which I doubt, you are no father to me. Just a man that abandoned my mother.”

That seemed to surprise Asmodeus. He arched both of his eyebrows. “You’d rather I stayed?” He nodded to himself, pleased. “Yes. You’ve done well for yourself, but had I stayed… The wonderful things we could’ve accomplished together. I could’ve taught you how to control the Force, how to-”

Magnus huffed and shook his head in indignation. “One doesn’t control the Force. It’s bigger than any of us. Bigger than you, even.” He groaned. “That’s beside the point. I didn’t come here to meet my… To meet you.” Yes, staying on mission helped to stabilize him. Magnus focused on that. “I know the Sith developed a technique to locate Force-Users throughout the Galaxy. That’s what I’m here for.”

Asmodeus frowned at that. He considered for a while, walking up to Magnus. They were of a similar height, though Magnus knew he was physically stronger. Somehow, he doubted that would make much difference in a confrontation.

Finally, Asmodeus decided to answer. “I have gathered many and more in this planet. Everything the Sith have found, every bit of knowledge and power we’ve created. This technique you speak of… I know it.” He cocked his head to the side. “I should warn you, though, even I couldn’t master it.”

That wasn’t a good sign, though Magnus was still thankful to hear it. He doubted the Sith would’ve stayed gone if Asmodeus could easily find victims to corrupt and turn to the Dark Side. But Magnus was curious. “Why not?”

For a second, Magnus was sure Asmodeus was going to attack him. He seemed angered, a vicious glare on his eyes. Magnus still had trouble looking straight into them. They were just… too familiar. It felt wrong to see those eyes on somebody else.

But Asmodeus didn’t attack. He smiled instead. “You’ll understand. Seek for it. The instructions won’t come unless you’ve proven to have the potential to follow them through.”

Magnus frowned, wondering if it was some sort of a trick. He decided it was worth the try, though. For all the stories he’s heard of Asmodeus, very few called him disloyal. He preferred to destroy his enemies upfront rather than let them do it for him. 

Concentrating, Magnus touched upon the Force. “What am I looking for?”

“Power. More power than you could ever imagine.” Asmodeus didn’t sound greedy as he spoke. Strangely, there was some sadness in him. “But it has no Darkness or Light to it. Or rather, there is both.”

“How can that be?” Magnus opened his eyes, looking at Asmodeus. “There are some overlaps, but stronger techniques work differently to each side of the Force. This is a Sith power, isn’t it?”

Asmodeus sighed. “It is and it isn’t.” When Magnus just glared at him, Asmodeus arched an annoyed eyebrow. “Nobody has ever been able to use it, so being a Sith doesn’t give anyone an edge.”

Shaking his head, Magnus figured there was no use asking more questions. He searched within him for a focus of power. There were so many relics hidden in the temple, sources where the Force was too strong to ignore. Magnus let the Force guide them through each one, recognizing their individual traces. 

Most of them felt cold and ancient. They were like the Darkness in Mortis, lurking and inviting. A part of Magnus wanted to find them, to learn from them. But he couldn’t. It was far too easy to be seduced by the Dark Side.

Finally, Magnus felt something different. It was far more powerful than anything else in the temple, but it felt distant too. As if there was something between it and the planet. It didn’t make sense

“Found it,” Magnus whispered and moved. Asmodeus followed him slowly, limping as Magnus walked. They crossed a few corridors until reaching an alcove. There were books there too, but they were easily outnumbered by the scrolls. 

Magnus grabbed one, unrolling it gently. It didn’t seem too old, nor was it fragile at the touch. Still, it felt like it should be handled with care. 

Asmodeus watched him read in silence. It was very unnerving, as Magnus realized he’d done the same to Jace on more than a few occasions. He didn’t want it to be true, but Magnus was fairly certain Asmodeus was not a trick of Edom. He was too real. 

And if Asmodeus was real, then what he said… Maybe it was real too. 

Pushing that thought away, Magnus focused on the instructions. It wasn’t much more different than meditating. Magnus could feel disturbances in the Force easily. The technique would only increase that so Magnus could feel more than just disturbances. He would be able to sense the Force within each person rather than only being able to sense when someone used the Force. Theoretically, it was simple. 

The problem was the preparation to learn the technique. 

“Only one that has mastered the Force can complete this training,” Magnus read out loud. “Mastered the Force? What does that mean?”

Asmodeus cocked his head to the side. “What do you think?”

“It can’t be to simply be a Jedi or a Sith. Or else...” Magnus frowned. “Anyone that was powerful enough would be able to do this. Master the Force… as in, the entirety of it. Both the Light and the Dark sides, together and at the same time.”

But that was impossible. One was either a Jedi or a Sith. Magnus had never heard of anyone who belonged to both sides of the Force, who had found true balance. 

“You see, it simply cannot be done,” Asmodeus said calmly. He wasn’t unkind, as if he had been just as disappointed as Magnus felt. Which was probably true. “Nobody has been able to transit between the Light and the Dark Sides for centuries. The Jedi and the Sith; we are sides of the same coin. But these sides do not mix. You’d have to fall to the Dark Side before you even begin to try.” 

“No.” Magnus shook his head. “I will never do that.”

Asmodeus sighed. “Then your quest has been for naught. You need the Dark Side to do this. Just like I needed the Light Side.”

Magnus stared at the lines, trying to keep Asmodeus’ voice away from his mind. It couldn’t be. There wouldn’t be instructions if the technique was useless. Asmodeus wouldn’t have kept them if that was the case. There had to be a way.

He read the text again. Two, three, four times. Magnus hadn’t gone to Edom to be defeated by an ancient scroll. He needed to rebuild the Jedi Order. Magnus might not have been the most exemplary Jedi there ever was, but he believed in the Order. He owed everything he was to it. Not to this man who said he was his father, but to Ragnor and the other Jedi.

Magnus was going to bring balance back to the Galaxy. He-

Blinking, he realized something. For every intent and purpose, Magnus was a Master Jedi. The Order had bestowed the title on him, even if he didn’t quite fully fulfill the Oath. But if that worked for one side of the Force... 

“I don’t need to fall to the Dark Side,” Magnus said quietly, almost to himself. Magnus turned to face his father. “I just need to learn from it.”

It made sense. Asmodeus’ cynical look turned curious. “Learn from the Sith? No proper Jedi would ever dare. Those who tried hardly ever can keep their vows.” He smiled, a smug thing that Magnus knew very well. “They come to their senses as to what side they should stand on.”

“Good thing I’m not a proper Jedi.” Magnus put the scroll away and pulled his damaged lightsaber. He stared at it for a second and then used the Force to break it. The metal twisted and cracked in his hands, until it fell to pieces. Only the kyber crystal remained. 

Magnus offered it to Asmodeus. “You wanted to teach me, right? Well, here’s your chance, Father.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, huge thank you to [Lecrit](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lecrit/pseuds/Lecrit)! 
> 
> I can be found on [Tumblr](https://ketzwrites.tumblr.com/) and on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/Ketz_CML/). 
> 
> Kudos, comments, and tweets are more than welcome!
> 
> Ketz


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